Portuguese veteran motorcyclist Paulo Goncalves has died in a crash at the Dakar Rally, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The incident occurred on stage seven of the race during a 339-mile route from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to Wadi Al Dawasir.
A helicopter was sent to the scene where medics found Goncalves unconscious, having gone into cardiac arrest. He was airlifted to Layla Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The 40-year-old had recovered from surgery on his spleen in order to make the rally, saying: “It’s a victory for me to be here at the start.”
Goncalves was 46th overall when the race resumed on Sunday following a rest day. He first took part in the race in 2006 and has recorded four top-10 finishes, including runner-up in 2015.
It is the first death at the race since Michal Hernik in 2015.
