Welsh cyclist Megan Barker is preparing to tick off the second of five major goals for 2026 when she makes her debut at the City of London Nocturne. The 28-year-old, based in Manchester, has already secured a silver medal in the team pursuit at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong this April.
Barker expressed excitement about the revived event, saying: “I've heard a lot about it and seen a lot of clips and pictures. I think it's really cool and I'm glad it has come back. I think the crowds enjoy it because you can see all the action and you don't have to stand around all day.” The new Nocturne features food stalls and street music to create an intense urban atmosphere.
The crit racing specialist believes the format suits her: “It suits my physiology. I like really short, sharp, hard efforts and going up to one hour is perfect for me. I’m better at it than road racing. It will be nice to get some crit racing in a bit earlier in the season than normal, before crit nationals.”
Barker won the national title in 2023, joining an elite group including Katie Archibald and Lizzie Deignan. Repeating that success is her third aim, after crashing out early last year. She also targets the Track World Championships in Shanghai.
Her biggest goal remains the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Having raced in 2018 and 2022 without a medal, she sees a real opportunity: “We were fourth last time and it was pretty tight. I'm hoping we're going to have like a really good chance of a medal, which has been one of my career goals that I keep just missing out on.”
