The Portuguese Rider Will be Mourned
Portuguese rider Paulo Gonçalves who was riding for the Indian motorcycle company Hero has died after injuries he experienced when he fell from his motorcycle during a stage of the Dakar Rally. The rider was 276 kilometers (171 miles) into the stage.
According to Motorsport.com, Gonçalves was found by a medical helicopter. He was unconscious and had undergone cardiac arrest. He was flown to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Gonçalves was 40 years old. He was a veteran of the Dakar Rally. He’d competed in the race 13 times. He was sitting in 46th place overall when the race resumed the following day. A veteran of the sport, Gonçalves started competing in the race in 2006.
This loss is a tragic one and a negative mark on the rally in its first year in Saudi Arabia. Gonçalves was a true competitor and had placed well in events leading up to the Dakar Rally. Our condolences go out to the Gonçalves family, and we hope that he is remembered well for his impressive contribution to the sport and to the Dakar Rally overall. He will be missed in future competition.
Dakar Rally’s Instagram posted a picture of the rider with the caption “We’ll meiss you, Paulo. Rest In Peace.”
