Ok - more info...this is hear-say mind you and not a first hand witness account, but it explains how the two riders might have met in the middle of the road perhaps.

One rider - the older one who died I am told - was riding the crit course in the same way you would ride it if you were racing on a closed course. IE, swinging corners wide, taking turns in such a way that you would enter what would ordinarily be an oncoming traffic lane IF there were any traffic. He had probably done this any number of times on any number of occasions - and there was probably never any traffic out there. He took a wide turn, and upon coming out of the turn the oncoming (younger) rider saw him and tried to move to the center to allow him to pass on the outside of him. The older rider corrected his wide turn a bit too late to attempt to miss the rider in his path and both met in the middle with the older riders head striking the younger riders shoulder with his head tucked as if to duck from injury. The top of his helmet made contact, resulting in a broken neck.

This is NOT fact nor is it exactly what happened I'm sure, but it is one possible explanation.

What an awful awful thing for both riders and both families - my heart goes out to all of them