The aggressive little sibling of pro bike racing, ‘crits’ are all about going quick through city streets.
You will never see traffic move so quick around one of London’s most congested districts as in the capital’s biggest criterium. When the London Nocturne takes over Bank it will showcase some of the fastest street cyclists in the world – easily hitting speeds double that of the local speed limit.
Criteriums, or crits, are bike racing concentrated. They take the mass starts of traditional stage races such the Tour de France and confine it to a street circuit no more than a few kilometres long. The tight corners and limited space calls as much for excellent bike handling as it does speed and power.
The races are usually no longer than an hour and decided by either completing a certain number of laps or crossing the finish line first once the time is up. To up the ante even further, race organisers add in the equivalent of intermediate sprints throughout the race. Dubbed ‘primes’ (pronounced preems) these are often cash prizes for whoever next crosses the line.
This all adds up to a race where tactics and battles play out in miniature. Racers will vie for position so they can take the most efficient line through corners and emerge at the front of the pack for the intermediate sprints and the final one to the finish line. To say it’s competitive is an understatement, which inevitably leads to the occasional crash.
So if you are wondering why the cyclists on your commute are even keener to get to work than usual they are probably competing in a crit. The London Nocturne will take over Bank on June 10, so expect to see the fastest cyclists on the shiniest bikes. And penny-farthings – they race those too.