Giro d’Italia stage winner Beñat Intxausti will join Movistar team-mate Alex Dowsett on the start line for the men’s elite criterium at Saturday’s IG London Nocturne.
Both Dowsett and Intxausti, who also wore the maglia rosa for a day, were part of a Movistar squad which came away from the Giro with four stage wins.
Dowsett, riding his first Grand Tour, claimed the team’s first win on stage eight, winning the 54.8km individual time trial ahead of Bradley Wiggins, while Intxausti won stage 16. The Spaniard’s victory was flanked by wins for team-mate Giovanni Visconti on stages 15 and 17.
Two-time British national time trial champion Dowsett returns to Smithfield Market two years after he won the IG London Nocturne by lapping the field as a neo-pro with Team Sky.
Meanwhile, Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell, who together won team pursuit gold at the London 2012 Games, top the bill for the elite women’s criterium.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This is a chance for Londoners to rekindle the Olympic spirit of last summer, with three Team GB cycling champions riding the IG London Nocturne at Smithfield Market.
“The summer of 2013 is going to be huge for cycling and a night of professional racing at such an iconic location should help inspire even more people to get on their bikes.”
Other races include a track bike criterium, a penny farthing race and a folding bike race. Racing starts at 4.30pm and runs until 10.30pm.
The IG London Nocturne is free to attend, while grandstand tickets are available to buy for £35 (+£2 booking fee) through www.londonnocturne.com.
