Sky pro Ian Stannard repeated the ride that Alex Dowsett did in 2011 with Stannard dominating the local riders to win the circuit race in London.
 |
Event Press ReleaseÂ
Ian Stannard (Team Sky) wins Saint-Gobain Elite Criterium Race
Ian Stannard at speed  around Smithfield Market. After the performance, it’s been said he’s now a favourite for the British Road Race Championship
London’s inner city streets played host to the world’s top pro cycling talent tonight (9th June), with Ian Stannard (Team Sky) winning the men’s Saint-Gobain Elite Criterium to take the crown as the fastest street racer on Earth at the IG London Nocturne. Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp) came in second closely followed by Niklas Gustavsson (Team UK Youth).
Now in its sixth year in the capital, the event celebrated another record breaking year with an estimated crowd of over 12,000 packed around Smithfield Market to witness an evening of extraordinary entertainment including a GB vs. Australia Team Pursuit head to head just weeks from the London 2012 Olympic Games.
This year’s men’s race featured ten pro teams with riders from Team Sky and Orica-GreenEdge lining up alongside the leading British squads. Fresh from the Giro d’Italia, Stannard – who also won the Elite Elimination Race today, and Matt Goss (Aus) were more than ready to take on the twists and turns of the Nocturne circuit. Olympic gold medallist Brett Lancaster (Aus) was also at the forefront of this year’s glittering elite field which reinforced the IG London Nocturne’s reputation as the premier Elite Criterium in the UK.
The podium finish at the 2012 IG London Nocturne – Sir Paul Smith, Kristian House – 2nd (Rapha Condor Sharp), Ian Stannard – 1st (Team Sky), Paul Humphreys (Global Marketing Director – Saint-Gobain), Niklas Gustavsson – 3rd (Team UK Youth)
Ian Stannard commented after the race, “It’s been a fantastic night and it was a great race. The crowd was phenomenal – so many people coming out to watch a street bike race in Britain. With the Olympics just around the corner it really doesn’t get any better!â€
The Rapha Women’s Elite Criterium, which was reinstated this year due to unprecedented demand from the elite cycling community, was won, for the fourth time, by Hannah Barnes (Team-Ibis-Cycles). The elite field was headed up by Paralympic Champion Sarah Storey (Escentual For VioRed), who finished in 10th place. Hannah Welter (Netherlands) came in second place and Belinda Goss (Escentual For VioRed) finished in third.
Hannah Barnes commented after the race, “I love the London Nocturne because of the course and the crowd support – the atmosphere is electric. It was great to race it and win it for the fourth time and I hope to be back again next year.â€
The IG London Nocturne has re-invented inner City racing and created an exciting new race format that blends entertainment and performance sport. Since its inception in 2007, it has grown to become one of the coolest mini cycling festivals in the UK, attended by the likes of Sir Paul Smith and held under the cover of darkness in one of the world’s most iconic city locations.
IG London Nocturne 2012 winner Ian Stannard (Team Sky) of the Saint-Gobain Elite Criterium led from the front from the start, closely hunted by the other top three riders.
In the buildup to the elite races, the Nocturne hosts events covering the full spectrum of cycling including the Brooks Penny Farthing race, the cult Tern Folding Bike Race and the Fixed Gear Schwalbe Longest Skid Competition. It’s always completely free to attend and the event has been attended by around 60,000 people in the past six years.
IG London Nocturne organiser James Pope said; “The capital is set for an exciting summer of sport culminating in the Olympics and we were delighted to kick it off with the IG London Nocturne. It has been another nail biting night of racing and we would like to thank all the riders, sponsors and crew that made it happen. If you didn’t manage to get down to Smithfield Market tonight you can catch the highlights on Channel 4 on 16th June at 7.00 and online on 4OD.â€
Photo Album from Joolze Dymond
Report by Paul Burgoine – the view from the grass roots
Thankfully London was enjoying a short ‘dry period’ on Saturday night and we were even treated to some warm weather for this flagship City centre cycling event held around Smithfield Meat Market. A more beautiful surrounding than the title suggests with the area filled with popular bars and cafes.
The London Nocturne is also an event that always captures the imagination of cycling fans and the occasional passerby. I have been coming here since the first edition and seen the Nocturne evolve from its early days of more rough and ready racing to its present state of high profile names and its ever growing corporate image (someone has to pay for it). There was distinct lack of couriers at the event this year, which was a shame and the popular ‘Longest Skid Competition’ suffered as a consequence.
Another thing missing was that marshals from the London clubs were largely replaced by a private security firm and as is often the way, the more popular events become a victim of their own success. That aside, its has become a yearly pilgrimage for lots of people and a place to catch up with acquaintances and friends you haven’t seen for a while so all in all, it’s a grand social event in the cycling calendar with races for people of all abilities, and events such as the folding bike race which over the years has become very competitive given its humble beginnings.
The now regular Penny Farthing race is also fantastic spectacle and a full on serious race. Lord knows how they control them bikes or for a matter, even get on them. As they raced, a band, the ‘Mrs Mills Experience’, played roll out the barrel and other bar room tunes to add to the atmosphere of days gone by.
A nice addition to the program was the Elite Elimination race with ten top riders competing in a track style Devil takes the Hindmost race, with the last rider over the line eliminated after every lap, this gave you a taste of how fast these riders would go round the circuit with the race won by Ian Stannard (Team Sky Pro-Cycling) with ease.
The Women’s race was a hotly contested event with a select bunch of around ten or so riders making the final selection including Nikki Juniper (Eagle RC) who rode a storming race driving the race for long periods along with some Dutch girls and Hannah Barnes (Ibis) looking back to her best after injury earlier this year.
Penny Farthings own the streets of London once again at the IG London Nocturne 2012. Racers travel from all over the world to take part in the historic Brooks Penny Farthing Race which was won by Gary McKinnel from New Zealand and watched by over 12,000 people at Smithfield Market.
Helen Wyman (Kona Factory Racing) set the fastest speed through the trap at 47kph and this race really did highlight the quality of women’s racing in this country and the lead was switching constantly between riders. In the end, the race came down to a sprint finish and National Critirium Champion Hannah Barnes took the win. Hannah was very happy with the win and said afterwards she was so pleased after having been sitting on the turbo for a month or so after recovering from a broken collar bone. She said it was good to get her form back, and she said she has defiantly got her sprint back.
The main event had a glitter array of Pro riders including the riders from Orica Green Edge – Matt Goss and Brett Lancaster – and Team Sky’s Ian Stannard and Davide Appollonio and the best of British Premier Calendar riders. The race took place in darkness in front a of a large enthusiastic crowd and it wasn’t long into the race that it was clear that Stannard was the outstanding talent in the field doing what he does best driving it on the front and leaving most of the peloton in his wake.
It was only his team mate Appollonio who could stay with him along with Kristian House (Rapha Condor Sharp) and Niklas Gustavsson(Team UK Youth). Gustavsson was the first to crack while the other three went onto lap the field. Appollonio was the next to go and Stannard was way too strong for House and cruised to a convincing victory. Ian said he enjoyed the evening, the massive crowd and great racing. Ian had replicated the ride his team mate Alex Dowsett did last year by lapping the field.
World Tour Riders and Domestic  races
It was a rare appearance in domestic events where World Tour riders are ‘banned’ from Premier Calendars etc with the London race featuring two World Tour teams, GreenEdge and Team Sky. It appears from information sent to us this afternoon, that the UCI sees circuit races as ‘exhibition’ races (right, tell that to the riders…) and so are not subject to the same rules that were introduced to prevent WorldTour riders (such as Lance Armstrong) from racing in domestic events which in Britain’s case, means Premier Calendar events and so on.
We’re told that as long as the circuit race is on a UCI list of circuit races which the Nocturne is apparently, then any rider can ride. Bloody stupid rule if you ask us!
Results
In Brief – winners
• Saint Gobain Elite Men’s criterium winner — Ian Stannard (Team Sky)
• Rapha Elite Women’s criterium winner – Hannah Barnes (Team-Ibis-Cycles)
• Elite Elimination Race winner – Ian Stannard (Team Sky)
• IG City Criterium winner – Schroders Team
• Tern Folding Bike Race winner – Jeroen Janssen (Dahon)
• Schwalbe Fixed Gear Longest Skid winner —  Ana Flowinski
• Brooks Penny Farthing Race winner – Gary McKinnel (New Zealand)
• Leigh Day Kermesse winner – William Pratt
ELITE MENS CIRCUIT RACE
1. Ian Stannard Team Sky
2. Kristian House Rapha Condor Sharp
3. Niklas Gustavsson Team UK Youth
4. Davide Appollonio Team Sky
5. Dan Holloway Raleigh-GAC
6. Tobyn Horton Raleigh-GAC
7. Jeroen Janssen Raleigh-GAC
8. Graham Briggs Raleigh-GAC
9. Simon Holt Raleigh-GAC
10. James McCallum Rapha Condor Sharp
11. Jonny McEvoy Endura
12. Will Bjergfelt Cycle Premier
13. Bernard Sulzberger Raleigh-GAC
14. Steve Adams Cycle Premier
15. Dale Appleby Metaltek-Scott
16. Chris Sutton Team Sky
17. Yanto Barker Team UK Youth
18. Ian Bibby Endura
19. Martin Bialoblocki Node4-Giordana
20. Christian Grasmann Rudy Project RT
21. George Tansley Cycle Premier
22. Simon Richardson IG-Sigma Sport
23. Dean Downing Rapha Condor Sharp
24. Magnus Backsteadt Team UK Youth
25. Blair Windsor Cycle Premier
26. Ian Wilkinson Endura
27. James Stewart Team UK Youth
28. Matt Goss Orica-GreenEdge
29. Jake Hales IG-Sigma Sport
30. Hannes Baumgarten Rudy Project RT
31. Simon Gaywood IG-Sigma Sport
Women
1. Hannah Barnes (Ibis)
2. Hannah Welter (Netherlands)
3. Belinda Goss (Escentual For VioRed)
4. Julia Soek Netherlands
5. Harriet Owen Node4 Giordana
6. Nicoal Juniper Corvida Allpress
7. Natalie Creswick Team Mule Bar Girls
8. Helen Wyman Kona Factory Racing
9. Alice Barnes 23c Orbea
10. Sarah Storey Escentual For VioRed
11. Corrine Hall Node4 Giordana
12. Lydia Boylan Look Mum No Hands!
13. Louise Mahe Team Mule Bar Girls
14. Estelle Rogers Corvida Allpress
15. Elise Sherwell Look Mum No Hands!
16. Jo McRae Look Mum No Hands!
17. Collyn Ahart Eagle Road Club
18. Emma Craddock South Downs Bikes
19. Jessie Walker Matrix Fitness – Prendas
20. Sarah Brook Team Mule Bar Girls
21. Delia Beddis ViCiOUS Velo
22. Emily Bagnall WyndyMilla / UK Youth
23. Elle Hopkins Escentual For VioRed
24. Fiona Strouts Stevens Bikes p/b Pactimo
25. Elinor Winter Corvida Allpress
26. Elizabeth Chittenden Eagle Road Club
27. Stephanie May Team Quest – The BIKE Shop
28. Julie Granshaw WyndyMilla / UK Youth
29. Rohan Battison Escentual For VioRed
30. Sarah Kent Escentual For VioRed
31. Eryn Nolan Pretorius Bikes
Leigh Day Kermesse (Regional A)
1. William Pratt Dulwich Paragon
2. Mike Debney London Dynamo
3. Wayne Crombie East London Velo
4. Steve Golla High Wycombe CC
5. Harry Franklin Stevens-Bikes.co.uk
6. Steve Calland South Downs Bikes
7. James Wakelin ViCiOUS Velo
8. Gavin Ryan London Dynamo
9. Tony Smedley London Dynamo
10. Arjan Planting Dulwich Paragon
11. Adam French Rapha Condor CC
12. James Norris High Wycombe CC
13. Tim Butt Maldon CC
14. Harry Littlechild London Dynamo
15. Edward Clemens VC10
16. Barry Hughes Rapha Club / Richardson Bikemart
17. Jon Lewis Charlotte Ville CC
18. Robert Windsor East London Velo
19. Will Hayter London Dynamo
20. Matthew Theobalds CS Grupetto
21. Ben Moores Norwood Paragon
22. Mark Smith Welwyn Wheelers
23. Chris Morrison London Dynamo
24. Bohdan Musil La Fuga Sigma Sport
25. Sam Humpheson Look Mum No Hands!
26. Malcolm Davies Aprire Bicycles
27. Jules Birks VC Londres
28. Keith Henderson Condor Cycles
29. Andrew Pollintine Dulwich Paragon
30. Alex Ioannides Dulwich Paragon
31. Alan Trolove West Suffolk Wheelers
32. Unidentifiable Unidentifiable
33. Benjamin Knowles London Phoenix
34. Mark Westrup Strada-Sport
35. Marc Clothier South Downs Bikes
36. Christopher Zappala Dolce Vita Cycling
37. Ed Ashby BCPM
38. Rhys Keepence Dulwich Paragon
39. Robert Moore London Phoenix
