Lion of Flanders adds bite to Smithfield menu

Former World Champion and three-time winner of Paris-Roubaix, Johan Museeuw, will be Rapha’s guest of honour at this Saturday’s Smithfield Nocturne in Central London. The Lion of Flanders, who retired in 2003 and last raced in the UK in 1996 when he came third in the Leeds Classic, will be joined by Geraint Thomas, winner of last year’s Nocturne, at the event which begins at 6 pm.

An impressive field of riders will contest the elite race with the major domestic squads all represented, including an on-form National Criterium Champion Dean Downing and his Rapha Condor team, Ed Clancy and Rob Hayles from Halfords as well as teams from Madison.co.uk and CandiTV-Marshalls Pasta.

Hot on the heels of last weeks emphatic victory in the Edinburgh Nocturne by Garmin’s David Millar, Ben Swift is the latest rider to put his post-Giro fitness to good use on home soil at a Nocturne. The Katusha rider, who is still only 21, had seven top-ten finishes in the Giro, coming third behind Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Cavendish in stage two, and hopes to have a similar effect on this Saturday’s field as Millar and team mate Cameron Meyer did last week.