Alex Dowsett (Team Sky) will face competition from the winner of last year’s Milan-San Remo, Matt Goss, when he defends his London IG Nocturne title on Saturday June 9.
Dowsett, recently recovered from a broken elbow, stole an early march on the entire field to win last year’s Nocturne.
This year, he will face the challenge of Goss, fresh from a stage win at the Giro d’Italia, as well as the cream of the domestic circuit, including Britain’s six UCI Continental teams.
Event organiser, James Pope, said: “London is set for an exciting summer of sport culminating in the Olympics so we are delighted to welcome some Olympic Champions to the IG London Nocturne on June 9.
“With riders from Team Sky and Orica-GreenEdge lined up to take on the best British pro teams we are set for an awesome night of racing in the heart of the City. ”
The thousands of spectators expected to line the Smithfield circuit will watch the elite men compete in two separate events: the show-closing Saint-Gobain Elite Criterium, and a 10-lap Elite Elimination race, which will be contested by a single entrant from each team, with the last rider across the line on each lap eliminated.
Multiple Paralympic and para-cycling world champion, Sarah Storey, heads an impressive start list for the Rapha Women’s Elite Criterium.
Storey, who helped propel Great Britain’s able bodied women’s team pursuit squad to World Cup gold last year, will face the challenge of five-time national cyclo cross champion, Helen Wyman and defending Nocturne champion, Hannah Barnes.
Support races include a City Criterium for firms from the Square Mile, a Penny Farthing race sponsored by Brooks, a race for folding bikes, and the Schwalbe longest skid competition for fixed gear bikes.
The programme starts at 4pm on Saturday June 9 and finishes at 10.30pm after presentations for the elite men and women.
Channel Four will broadcast highlights of the race on Saturday June 16, which will be made available on the channel’s 4OD digital platform.
