September 29, 2016 (Marigny, France) – Canadian Svein Tuft (Orica-BikeExchange), together with teammate Luke Durbridge (Aus), won the 35th annual running of the Duo Normand in France on Sunday. But the victory was overshadowed by the death of a British cyclist when he was struck by a car just before the finish line as report by The Guardian and Normandie 50 Actu.

The two cyclists completed the 54km, 2-man time trial with a time of 1:04:12. Both the start and finish line were in the small town of Marigny in the Normandy peninsula. There were some 100 elite cyclists on the start line representing some 20 teams. Tuft, a multiple national champion, was the only Canadian among the elite men.

Tuft and Durbridge also won the event in 2012 and 2013, but apparently have not competed in the race since then. The 39-year-old Tuft has been riding for an Australian team since 2012; he previously rode for Symmetrics (2005–2008), Garmin–Slipstream (2009–2010), and SpiderTech p/b C10 (2011).

Ian Bashford, 60, was competing in the race as part of the British-based Old Portlians club when hit head-on by a vehicle about 200 metres from the finish line. Bashford, a policeman, previously served as the bodyguard for former British PM Tony Blair; he was pronounced dead on the scene. Some reports describe the vehicle as a support car for another team riding in the opposite direction; French media describe the driver as a 27-year-old Englishman who was taken to hospital in a state of shock. An investigation is underway.

Results (brief)

1. Svein Tuft (Can) / Luke Durbridge (Aus) ORICA-BikeExchange 1:04:12
2. Martin Toft Madsen (Dnk) / Lars Carstensen (Dnk) Team Almeborg-Bornholm 1:31
3. Johan Le Bon (Fra) / Marc Fournier (Fra) 1:47
4. Jonathan Dibben (Gbr) / Scott Davies (Gbr) Team Wiggins 2:23
5. Callum Scotson (Aus) / Miles Scotson (Aus) 2:28
6. Reidar Bohlin Borgersen (Nor) / Truls Korsaeth (Nor) Team Joker-Byggtorget 2:35
7. Rémi Cavagna (Fra) / Corentin Ermenault (Fra) 2:44
8. Anthony Delaplace (Fra) / Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Fortuneo-Vital Concept 2:47
9. Elias Van Breussegem (Bel) / Christophe Prémont (Bel) Vérandas Willems Cycling Team 3:56
10. Sander Cordeel (Bel) / Brecht Dhaene (Bel) Vérandas Willems Cycling Team 4:12

Guardian report here.
Normandie 50 Actu report here.

Pedal joins the cycling community in extending sympathies to Bashford’s family and friends