Newport Nocturne: Thousands expected for floodlit bike race

And, for the first time, the public can now ride the race route before the professionals take to the track.

Tonight’s race is the 11th edition of the twilight event and thousands of people are expected to pack Newport’s streets as the bikers speed around the town centre.

The timetable for the evening is:

• 6pm: Galliers Homes ‘Come and Ride the course’ free community event

• 7pm: Ludgate Finance Women’s Nocturne

• 8pm: Supersprint Competition

• 8.35 pm: Ludgate Finance Women’s Nocturne prize giving

• 9pm: Schwalbe Tyres UK Newport Nocturne and presentations

• 10.20pm: Finish

The race begins in the High Street before heading north towards St Nicolas’ Church, continuing around the church onto the cobblestones of St Mary’s Street and around the other side of the church. It then comes up the other side of the High Street before turning left onto Avenue Road.

The racers then turn at the bowling club and head down Granville Avenue before going back on the High Street to the finishing line.

Riders will complete laps of the circuit under floodlights as spectators watch behind metal barriers, with bands also keeping the crowds entertained.

A big screen will show the race on the High Street, meaning spectators will be able to watch and listen from outside the Newport Liquor Store.

Before the serious events, however, amateur riders will have the chance to ride the town-centre circuit for the first time.

Anyone wishing to ride the course just has to turn up from 6pm onwards with a bike and helmet.

Meanwhile the pros racing in the men’s and women’s events have an extra incentive to excel this year, after Wood's brewery agreed to pay the winners of both the men's and women's races their weight in beer. Riders can also win cash for being the fastest in a given lap.

Organiser Nick Jeggo has spoken of the difficulties of organising the races without his father Mick, who founded the event in 1989 but died earlier this year.

Nick, who organised this year’s Nocturne with wife Diane, said: "On the day it will be very frantic.

“The town has to function and shops have to do business in the day, then at 4pm when the roads close is when we can get to work.

“That is when we move everything into place.

"It's always quite stressful putting it all into action, and we are down to a team of two from three unfortunately.

“This year the race will be a sort of memorial to my dad, and people have been really supportive of us.

"It is four years since the last one, so people have missed it but equally there are people in Newport who might never have heard of the Nocturne which is exciting.

"It is great to see how much support we have had from everyone. Without Newport Town Council especially we would never have been able to do it."

Professional teams featuring in this year’s Nocturne include Canyon Eissberg and JLT Condor, who three-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion Ed Clancy will be racing for.

It will be Clancy’s third visit to the town, including a win in 2012.