Semi-professional cyclist Tobias Dahlhaus swapped his usual race bike for an e-bike and came away victorious, winning the inaugural Voi Bike Challenge as the City of London Nocturne returned to the capital after an eight-year absence.
Tobias Dahlhaus usually rides across Europe for Foran Cycling Team but opted for a different set of two wheels at the City of London Nocturne. A semi-professional cyclist left the competition in his wake by storming to victory in an e-bike as the inaugural City of London Nocturne hit the City streets.
The 26-year-old from East Sheen won the Voi Bike Challenge, where competitors navigated the 1.3km city circuit on an e-bike, with victory only sealed once the bike had been safely parked. Dahlhaus later took part in the elite men’s criterium race on Saturday evening, but was pleased to have taken the line on a more unorthodox set of two wheels.
“I entered the pro race and I thought this event would be quite fun,” he said. “The last time [Nocturne] ran was 2018 or something, so I thought I’d get stuck in.
“I’ve done a few silly things on hire bikes, like seeing how quick I can go around Richmond Park, so I thought it would be fun and also give me a chance to get a look at the course. I tried to set the quickest lap around Richmond Park on a Lime bike. It’s not a confirmed world record, but I’d say it’s up there. If anyone can beat that, fair play.”
Dahlhaus was part of a wide-ranging field for the Voi Bike Challenge, with some riders donning fancy dress compared to his more professional cycling gear. But the advertising executive was keen to ensure he came home with the win, which also earned him a month’s free cycling on Voi bikes alongside the kudos of victory. “I really wanted to win,” he added. “I can’t turn up in a full skinsuit and not try to win! The aim was to get a bit of a lead and have a buffer in case anything went wrong with parking the bike, and that worked out.”
Dahlhaus’ main focus was the professional criterium race, which headlined two days of cycling action as Nocturne returned to London for the first time in eight years. The two-day event opened with a charity race in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, before a series of races whetted the appetite for the pair of elite events in the evening.
Matt Bostock took the victory in the men’s race, and Dahlhaus was pleased to be able to sample such a high-quality race in his home city. He said: “I don’t usually do town-centre criteriums like this; it’s not really my style. We tend to do bigger, longer road races and stage races but because it’s my home city, I thought I’d get involved.
“With our team, Team Foran, we race all over - Ireland, the UK National Series, Belgium, all sorts. I got into cycling through the London Youth Games, which was like a mini Olympics for kids in the city.
“I saw cycling and thought I’d give it a go. I went to my Team Richmond borough trials and was absolutely useless, so I started riding every day and haven’t stopped since.”
