This was our first ride in the Duo Normand, and probably pre-dated Team Grumpy itself. I don't think we have retained a detailed account of this outing, but here are a few personal recollections from Grumpy Bob.
The Duo Normand is the main focus for Team Grumpy. Run annually in September/October, it's a 2-up team time trial that attracts a large number of teams drawn from local clubs, from the UK (especially the Channel Islands), and from the rinks of the Elite UCI-registered teams.
Team Grumpy rode in the Duo Normand from 2003 to 2019 (except in 2007).
The appearance of Covid-19 in 2020 lead to the cancellation of the 2020 event, and the Duo Normand has not restarted since (as of 2023). There was an odd event which paired a short run and a short 2-up time trial in May 2022, but this didn't seem to attract much interest.
Team Grumpy still hope that the Duo Normand will reappear on the calendar of events!
Note: this report describes Team Grumpy's second ride in the Duo Normand (we have ridden each year from 2003, with the exception of 2006), and was originally published in the North Bucks Road Club Newsletter.
It was just before mid-day, the sun was directly overhead and the temperature had hit thirty. A couple flashes from the camera in front of us and then the countdown, cinq , quatre, trois, deux, une. We both focused on the road ahead that climbed out of the Normandy village of Marigny. The Duo Normand's motto is l'effort total. We didn't know it at that moment, but this would neatly sum up our race.
The Duo Normand two-up team time trial is held annually in September on a 54.3km circuit based in the Normandy town of Marigny. from a British time triallist's point of view, it's a spectacular event - not only because of the numbers of spectators, but because of the large numbers of competitors (in many categories from unlicenced to professional) and the virtually closed roads. All the teams can have a following car in case of mechanical problems, though Team Grumpy have never availed themselves of this in the 5 occasions we've ridden it.
OK, so the Duo Normand is a bit of an obsession of Team Grumpy, but I think justifiably so! Over the years we've had variable fortune in the event.
Team Grumpy approached this year's Duo Normand with the expectation that we'd do less well than in previous years - both riders have had less than stellar seasons. In the event, we did better than we expected, I think, despite being trounced by a seriously strong team riding for BikeRadar.com (Robin Coomber and Jeff Jones), who rode a superb race, taking the category record with 1:15:22.
Duo Normand 2010: Grumpy Teamwork underpins emphatic victory for Team Grumpy in its centenary year, but rule-book seriously contravened!
On the back of a frankly lacklustre season, we (Team Grumpy, a.k.a Gerry and Robert) were uncertain how things would go for them at the 2011 edition of the Duo Normand, the 30th time the event has been run (and the 8th in which Team Grumpy has competed).
Well, Team Grumpy didn't approach the 2012 edition of the Duo Normand time trial with great expectations, which was probably a good thing as their performance was somewhat lack-lustre. In large part Team Grumpy can blame problems with work-life balance causing problems with training, and of course Grumpy Bob had that crash while racing only a few weeks before the Duo.
Team Grumpy didn't write a preview of the 2013 Duo Normand, principally because both riders have had particularly lacklustre seasons this year for reasons of pressure of work and of illness and injury. However, on a recent joint holiday to Normandy, one did seem to see the vague signs of returning form. Grumpy Bob built on this by riding five events between coming back from Normandy and returning for the Duo Normand. Everything seemed to be falling into place. From his perspective, at least.
This was our second trip over to Normandy in 2014. Along with my Team Grumpy team-mate Gerry, I had a long weekend away to make another assault on the Corporatif category of the Duo Normand.
As something of a prologue to this year’s event, I’d decided to modify my P3’s set up. For the last few years, I’d had flat handlebar extensions fitted to the USE Tula bars, but since getting a Cervelo P5, I’d decided that returning to extensions with upturned ends would be beneficial. I ordered the required replacement parts and set about fitting them. It was soon apparent that I had a problem on my hands - I just couldn’t persuade the left hand extension to go through the base bar. After several days effort, I gave up and reverted to Plan B: to buy a new base bar and use some old Deda GCB extensions I had previously used on a fixed wheel TT bike.
So, the usual features of Team Grumpy's preparation for the Duo Normand are generally not conducive to a good performance! 2015 was no different.
Grumpy Bob's bike had some real issues with its gear indexing. This was noted in training over in Normandy a month before the Duo, and also back in Blighty. Hopefully sorted before the Duo, but who knows. Team Grumpy Rule #2 may well be violated again this year! Grumpy 'Art' Vanderley lost his racing licence. Or maybe he used it as a bookmark. In Nicole Cooke's biography. Anyway, a replacement was ordered via British Cycling, but with a few days to go, it was somewhere with the privatised Royal Mail. But then! Moment of genius! Examination of wallet revealed it was there all along!
Once again, Team Grumpy entered the Corporate category. Sadly, the 35th Duo Normand was marred by a fatal accident.
This report is written in Microsoft Sway - if the embedded version doesn't work on your device, here's the direct link.
Team Grumpy once again regrouped for another ride, our 14th, at the Duo Normand, the well-known 2-up time trial run each year in late September in Marigny. Nowadays, we generally only ride two 2-ups each year, the Port Talbot Wheelers 2-up '25' in early March and the Duo Normand itself. And with advancing years and work pressures which draw us from training, our performances might be expected to dip over the years.
Team Grumpy entered the 2017 Duo Normand despite an almost total lack of form. This was due (in the case of Grumpy Art) to a prolonged period of illness just as the 2017 season was getting under way and (in the case of Grumpy Bob), a mysterious drop in form. Oh well, Team Grumpy doesn't let minor issues such as lack of fitness get in the way of a fun extended weekend in Normandy!
We approached the 2018 Duo Normand with considerable interest, as there would be a new course used. Grumpy Bob had visited the course on a low intensity tandem trundle round at the end of August. But riding it on the TT bikes would offer a better idea of how the course might play out.
Prologue
Team Grumpy had initially thought that 2019 would see us missing only the second Duo Normand since our first visit to Marigny in 2003, owing to various family commitments. However, in late spring, a change in date for the 2019 event was announced. Instead of being run on the 22nd September, it would now be held on 15th September. I'm not sure of the reasons, but the UCI World Championships were due to be held on 22nd-29th September, so maybe the worry was that the turnout of professionals might have been reduced on the original date.
The Duo Normand was the best time trial I regularly rode, and as a 2-up tream trial, I always rode with my long-term 2-up partner Gerry (together we styled ourselves Team Grumpy). There are many reasons why I believe this was the best time trial - a large field ranging from non-specialist riders through to professional teams; a challenging course of around 54km; and in a great location in the heart of rural Normandy. Gerry and I ended up taking annual holidays in Normandy because of this race.
Yesterday evening, Team Grumpy picked up rumours of a return of the Duo Normand to the calendar in 2025. This morning it is confirmed as a post on the Duo Normand Facebook page confirms the race will take place on 21st September 2025. The event hasn't taken place since 2019 - it was abandoned in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and wasn't run 2021 through 2024. I even wrote an 'obituary' of the event, with an overview of Team Grumpy's performances over the years.
I expect the event will be on the revised 'Norman Leopard' course.
The Duo Normand is Team Grumpy's favourite time trial, and we have ridden it every year (bar one) between 2003 and 2019. Check the reports on this website!