Former professional cyclist Saïd Haddou, a two-time winner of the Tro Bro Léon and a former rider for Europcar, has died following a traffic accident in France. He was 43.
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Haddou's death was announced by multiple French cycling outlets and confirmed by his former team, TotalEnergies, which mourned the loss of one of its former riders.
Details surrounding the traffic incident were not immediately released.
A native of the Paris region, Haddou turned professional in 2005 with Auber 93 before joining Jean-René Bernaudeau's Bouygues Télécom team in 2007. That organization later became Europcar and eventually evolved into today's TotalEnergies squad.
Haddou enjoyed the most successful stretch of his career with Europcar. He captured the Tro Bro Léon, one of France's most distinctive one-day races, in both 2007 and 2009. He also earned stage victories at the Tour du Poitou-Charentes and the Étoile de Bessèges while establishing himself as a respected classics specialist and dependable teammate.
In 2009, Haddou competed in both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, marking the biggest Grand Tour appearances of his professional career.
He retired from racing following the 2012 season but remained closely connected to the sport. Most recently, Haddou worked as a driver during the Tour de Provence and also served as a longtime driver for former Tour de France standout Thomas Voeckler, now a cycling commentator for French television. Reports indicated the two were expected to reunite for this year's Tour de France, which begins in less than two weeks.
