Weight training exercises, barbell curls pointless for a trackie?

Ive been reading Marty Nothsteins book, after he took up olympic lifting to develop more explosive power he apprently still/did curls in the gym too.

And does it say why?

If it doesn't, try and think about what kind of rider Nothstein was (and went on to be) and his physical characteristics etc.

To echo my earlier comments, and to provide a direct response to your OP of nearly two years back: No, it's unwise to completely rule out a particular exercise if it will help a rider address a particular weakness. Primarily your gym program should focus on specificity but it should also be flexible enough to ensure whole body muscular fitness and prevent imbalances.

I can't stress how important it is for a rider's gym program to be tailored to suit the individual.