Thousands of people flocked to London’s historic Smithfield Market on Saturday (June 8) to watch a packed programme of city centre racing.
The show-closing Saint Gobain Elite Men’s Criterium delivered a hugely exciting climax to the evening.
Alex Dowsett, winner in 2011, and Movistar team-mate, Benat Intxausti, both stage winners in last month’s Giro d’Italia, took on the cream of the domestic peloton.
After 50 minutes and five laps racing around the 1.1km circuit, a stone’s throw from St Paul’s Cathedral, the race was decided in a photo finish.
Team Raleigh’s Tom Scully, nicknamed The Scud, sank Dowsett’s hopes of a second victory with a superbly timed sprint for the line.
Former national circuit race champion, Dean Downing (Madison Genesis), still finished third, despite puncturing in the final corner and sprinting for the line on a flat tyre.
RoadCyclingUK spoke to the men who mattered at the end of a thrilling encounter, getting their reactions moments after they stepped from the podium.
Check out this superb video from Jacob Gibbins for highlights and interviews of another enthralling IG London Nocturne.
