A night on the town
Now in its 10th year, the Mr Porter London Nocturne is a rare chance to see top-end racing in the heart of the capital. joins the crowds to enjoy the action
ow often do you get to see professional cyclists tearing around the streets of central London, Olympians lining up against local heroes and riders taking their post-race ‘shower’ in a bucket of water in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral? Not often, which is what makes the Mr Porter London Nocturne such a unique event.
On 4th June the 10th edition of the Nocturne was held in Cheapside, City of London, less than half a mile from its previous venue, Smithfield Market. The new course was a welcome change for the organisers, but 11 years ago, when they were planning the new event, things weren’t quite so easy.
Shutting down London
‘I think the original idea to hold a nighttime criterium around Smithfield Market was between Rapha’s Simon Mottram and Grant Young from Condor,’ says James Pope, CEO of Nocturne organiser Face Partnership.
‘They couldn’t figure out a way to take it from an idea to a reality and we came along to help with that. Initially, the hard work was with all the lobbying and discussions with the City of London to convince them to let us do it. I think it took over a year to convince them.
‘It’s quite hard to shut streets down in London, and Smithfield had a sort of backstreet, urban feel to it while still being in the City. The market is quite a historic and iconic place, without being a typical tourist location, so it seemed to have the right balance. I think the guys at Condor, based just around the corner, knew the area quite well, so they thought that it would create a good race circuit. It was a bit hidden away – only taxi drivers were really aware of it as a cut-through and there were no bus routes that went through it.’