French penny farthing enthusiast Alexandre Voisine produced a dominant display to win the penny farthing race at the City of London Nocturne, lapping much of the field on the 1.3km city-centre circuit.
A French penny farthing enthusiast took London by storm to take victory as the inaugural City of London Nocturne hit the City streets. Alexandre Voisine, 51, stormed around the 1.3km circuit in the capital’s financial district, lapping all but one of the field en route to a dominant victory on his Victorian-era bicycle.
The race was part of a large programme of events that marked the inaugural Nocturne to the City of London for the first time in eight years, with two days of events ending in men’s and women’s elite criterium races.
And Voisine was thrilled to be part of the event and to put in such a good performance. He said: “I’ve raced at Nocturne before, about 10 years ago. I really like the course; the surface is good, although the corners are a bit tricky.
“The atmosphere is incredible, with so many people watching. It feels like being a professional rider, with the crowd and the excitement. It’s great to see this new event created. There aren’t many races like this in France, but there are more in Belgium and the UK. I come back to the UK every August for races whenever I can.”
Voisine hit the front early and put plenty of distance between himself and the pack in an attempt to ward off late pushes by other riders.
“He added: My approach today was to go early. There are strong sprinters in the field, and I didn’t want to take too many risks in a sprint because it can be dangerous. I attacked early and tried to go clear. In the end, I managed to lap most of the field.”
The City of London Nocturne saw plenty of penny farthings on show, with Neil Laughton breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest penny farthing ridden. The penny farthing was designed and built by Australian Dan Bolwell, before Laughton used stilts to successfully pedal through the City of London.
“I’m actually quite relieved,” said Laughton. “It was a long time in the planning. It required a lot of concentration. I didn’t want to let anyone down. My family were here, and there was a big crowd who had come to see the record attempt.
“I was quite nervous that it might collapse again, especially from about 13 feet up onto concrete. I didn’t have elbow pads or much protection – just stilts and a helmet – so I was definitely hoping everything would hold together.
“Thankfully, I had a slight tailwind. I’ve done quite a few challenges in my life, so I know how to focus, concentrate, and commit. That’s what I relied on to achieve this new Guinness World Record.”
