London Nocturne 2026
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli made the long trip south to the big city as elite road racing returned to the Square Mile for the London Nocturne. A full day of racing saw the technical circuit lined with large groups of spectators consisting of long-time fans of the sport and curious passers-by as cycling had its moment to shine on the busy streets of central London. With multiple competitions taking place throughout the day, including a Brompton race, a city bike race and even a penny farthing race the crowds continued to grow leading up to the elite men’s race which kicked off at 9pm as the sun began to set.
This stand-alone event was well positioned in the racing calendar just ahead of the busy British Cycling National Circuit Series and would be a good opportunity for the Wheelbase team to dust off their crit racing skills. A packed field of super-talented riders, which included international pros, national champions and former Olympians, would put our small team of three riders to the test on the mean streets of London.
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Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Tom Armstrong, the current Rapha Super-League leader and 2025 National Circuit Series overall winner came into the race with high ambitions on a technical course which would suit his wily style of racing and superb bike handling skills. The team’s star sprinter Tim Shoreman would position himself at the head of the race alongside teammate Aaron King to be ready mark breakaways and be on the front for a bunch sprint if that was how the race played out.
The action kicked off immediately with National Crit Champion Cameron Mason launching the first attack from the bunch. The technical nature of the city centre circuit meant that breakaway groups would be hard to catch once they’d escaped the pack and very quickly a small group formed. Over the following laps the race lead swapped multiple times as small groups of never more than four or five riders broke away and attempted to establish a stable gap to the chasing peloton.
As the race continued to string out a four-strong lead group finally formed and would ultimately contest the sprint for the win while Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli’s Tom Armstrong and Tim Shoreman battled hard to stay at the head of the chase group ready to contest the sprint for the remaining places. Elsewhere Aaron King’s race was affected by a loose shoe cleat which was a frustrating outcome for him on the night after showing good form early in the race. With the gap continuing to stretch out Tom Armstrong made one last attempt to pull the bunch across to the break but with the leaders now holding a minute’s advantage it was time for Armstrong to recalibrate and start to consider his overall lead in the Rapha Super-League.
All photos by Mark James
With a magical mix of clever positioning, sublime bike handling and well-timed accelerations Tom was able to cross the line in 7th place consolidating his overall position in the Rapha Super-League with a 21point lead. The London Nocturne was a fantastic event with huge crowds and entertaining racing throughout the day and into the evening. The Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli team show great form going into the busy crit season and are ready to race again at the first round of the British Cycling National Circuit Series at the Colne Grand Prix in Lancashire on Tuesday the 16th of June, back in the north, on a more familiar circuit. We’re excited to see how they perform!
Results
Tom Armstrong 7th
Tim Shoreman 40th
Aaron King 49th
More London Nocturne by Mark James photos below..
