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Extremely sad day for Dakar Rally 2020- All pay respect for much loved rider: Paulo Goncalves

Paulo Goncalves Dakar Rally 2020 Photo Credit: Florent Gooden

Dakar Rally Stage 7 was hit by massive loss of Paulo Goncalves at 276 kms into special stage after leaving Riyadh to Wadi Al Dawasir.

Paulo Goncalves Dakar Rally January 13th Photo Credit: A.S.O

The crash resulted in Paulo losing consciousness and subsequent cardiac arrest proved too difficult for medics to revive the highly respected rider after receiving the alert call at 10.08am and arriving by helicopter at 10.16am.

With all Dakar Rally 2020 competitors, organizers, Teams, along with Rally and Motorsport community expressing deep sadness and condolences to Paulo’s family and friends, Stage 8 for Motorcycles and Quads has been cancelled.

Women competitors are amongst all in shock and disbelief at sudden passing of most loved and respected bike rider- ‘Legend of Dakar’- and to this day had entered his 13th Dakar in 2020.

For Laia Sanz: ‘A very hard day! The worst stage in my life! I still can’t believe it. He was one of the best in the bivouac. A true example and a real Dakar racer. All the world loved you Paulo! Lots of love to his family and friends’.  

Mirjam Pol: ‘We want to express our condolences to the family, friends and the team of Paulo Goncalves. We wish them a lot of strength with this great loss’.

Paulo Goncalves Dakar rally 2020 Photo Credit: A.S.O.

Fernanda Kanno: ‘We finish stage 7, today we will not upload more content because it is a sad day for the #dakar2020… thank you all for your support but today we will be silent… There’s nothing to celebrate. #Dakar2020′.

Taye Perry: ‘Everyone lost a legend in Stage 7 of the 2020 Dakar RIP Paulo’.

MXLink will resume Media reports on Dakar Rally Women competitors after Stage 8 has been completed for Trucks and Cars.

Header Photo: Paulo Goncalves Photo Credit: A.S.O.

Words: Sharon Cox.

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