Ryan Carus from Wimbledon was crowned the winner of the thrilling first ever Barclays Cycle Hire race as part of the Jupiter London Nocturne on Saturday, pipping Leo Tong (2nd) and Massimo Saetta (3rd) to the prize.
Thirty riders, including UK boy-band Rough Copy, former Olympian Jeanette Kwakye, rapper Mikill Pane, radio presenter Jade Avia, TV presenter Andy Samuels and competition winners from across the capital, pedalled their way around the 1.5km course in an exciting race on Saturday evening. The five lap Barclays Cycle Hire race was carried out on the iconic blue bikes and special edition yellow cycle hire bikes released to celebrate the Tour de France coming to London.
Speaking after winning the race, Ryan Carus, said: "The atmosphere was completely surreal and it was such an incredible event. I'm currently training with my club, the Kingston Wheelers, for my next challenge - the Prudential RideLondon 100."
TfL's General Manager for Barclays Cycle Hire, Nick Aldworth, said: "From the first corner to the exciting final lap, the Barclays Cycle Hire race on Saturday night was thrilling from start to finish. Although Ryan Carus was a worthy winner, all 30 competitors deserve praise for providing such a pulse-racing event!"
Meanwhile in the Elite category there were wins for Tobyn Horton (Madison Genesis) and Nicola Juniper (Echelon-Rotor). Horton broke from a group of four to power to the win ahead of Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT) and 2007 Nocturne winner James McCallam (NFTO Pro Cycling).
The Jupiter London Nocturne took place exactly one month before the Tour de France returns to London on Monday 7 July. After two stages in Yorkshire, around 200 elite cyclists will travel from Cambridge, through Essex, into London before a spectacular finish on The Mall. The Tour de France will draw people onto the streets of London from near and far, and help to inspire more people to take up cycling in the capital.
The Tour de France is followed by two more exciting cycling events in London - Prudential RideLondon on 9 and 10 August and the Tour of Britain, which takes place between 7 and 14 September and traditionally finishes in the capital.
TfL hope the summer's cycling events will inspire thousands more Londoners to take to two wheels, building on the Mayor's ambition for cycling to be an integral part of the transport network. A large-scale proramme of improvements is already underway to create a series of major new segregated cycle routes, enhanced cycling superhighways, urban quietways and turning some outer boroughs into 'mini-Hollands'.
There are currently over 10,000 Barclays Cycle Hire bikes across London, but with the bank's 4-year sponsorship deal coming to an end next summer TfL are looking for a new sponsor. The chosen sponsor will be expected to invest £5.5 million per year over a 7-year contract.
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