French cycling is in mourning following the news of the passing of former professional Arnaud Coyot, who was killed in a car accident this weekend.
According to French media reports, he was one of three travelling in the car early on Sunday morning. It was driven by current Cofidis professional Guillaume Levarlet, and Ag2r La Mondiale rider Sébastien Minard was also present.
Leverlet is suspected of having drunk alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel, and was questioned by police afterwards. The crash is said to have occurred at approximately 6.30 am, and happened in Villers-Sur-There, near Beauvais. Leverlet is said to have lost control and the car hit a metal barrier.
Coyot was treated at the scene by firefighters from Beauvais and was transported to hospital in Amiens suffering from a head injury.
Unfortunately efforts to save his life were unsuccessful, and the 33 year old succumbed this afternoon.
Leverlet and Minard are understood not to have been seriously hurt.
Coyot’s passing has been mourned by many within cycling, with a large number of professional riders paying tribute to him via Twitter.
He turned professional in 2003 with the Cofidis team and remained there for four years. He spent a year with Unibet.com, then raced in Caisse d’Epargne colours between 2008 and 2010. He moved to Saur Sojasun in 2011 and spent two years there.
His top result was victory in the Classic Haribo in 2006, where he outsprinted future world champion Thor Hushovd. He was also second in the 2008 national championship, tenth in the 2005 Paris-Roubaix and clocked up top ten stage finishes in the Vuelta a España and Tour de France.
Coyot’s career was unfortunately hampered by a knee problem, and he retired last year.