The 25th Duo Normand

Sunday 3rd September

Report by Mark Jones

The Duo Normand has become the world 2 up time trial champs and is a 55 km 2-up time trial (you ride in pairs) which attracts cyclists from 41 countries making 398 teams of two.

With the top European pro tour teams putting in riders to fight it out, Mark Jones raced with Tommy Lawrence, an old team mate in the “regionaux category” (1st cat riders & national champions).

The weather was really bad, heavy rain and strong winds and that was before the hills 30 km on.

My race:

After following my team mates in the back up car the nerves hit me as I saw half a dozen riders hitting the deck on the wet steep descents and bends things were not looking good.

Time clicked on and at 3 pm we were in a little hut with a slippery start ramp & a clear open road ahead (what was I doing?).

Soon we were off on the closed roads with the team car behind, at the end of the first decent we flew out of a lane and straight across 4 lanes of a dual carriageway; closed roads I hoped!

The heart rate settled and we were in to some sort of pattern, the flat was windy but the rain had stopped, someone was looking after me. At halfway, two G.B boys caught us, we held them for a few miles and passed them, they passed us and that was them gone.  Then the hills came.  After the dangerous descents came yet more climbs and we approached the village.  The streets were lined with people and we picked the speed up as we passed the grand stands (we had to look fit at some point) only 8 miles left and the rain came back. I haven’t raced so hard or give it my all for years.

We finished 61 overall in a time of 1hr 26m. 16 mins down on the top pro winners some French champions:  1hr 10 mins. On the plus side - we were only 2 mins down on the last pro team.

Results and more information are available from the Duo Normand website.

Photos of this event can be seen by clicking here.