Dakar Rally in Mourning As Portuguese Rider Paulo Goncalves Dies in Crash Paulo’S Death Cast a Pall Over the Seventh Stage Action Won by Carlos Sainz
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25 Sports Monday, January 13, 2020 Dakar Rally in mourning as Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves dies in crash Paulo’s death cast a pall over the seventh stage action won by Carlos Sainz WADI AD-DAWASIR: Portuguese motorbike rider placed 46th in the overall bike standings after Friday’s Paulo Goncalves has died after a crash in the Dakar sixth stage. Rally yesterday, the 40-year-old becoming the gru- elling motorsport marathon’s 25th fatality. Goncalves ‘KNOT IN YOUR STOMACH’ suffered the fatal accident after 276 kilometres of the His death cast a pall over the seventh stage action seventh stage from Riyadh to Wadi ad-Dawasir. “The won by Carlos Sainz in a Mini with Joan Barreda tim- organisers received an alert at 10:08 (0708 GMT) and ing fastest in the bike category. The last Dakar com- dispatched a medical helicopter that reached the biker petitor to be killed was Polish rider Michal Hernik in at 10:16 and found him unconscious after going into 2015 in Argentina. cardiac arrest,” a statement on the rally’s official web- “The entire Dakar caravan would like to extend its site reported. sincere condolences to his friends and family,” the “Following resuscitation efforts in situ, the com- organisers’ statement said. With 20 of the 25 Dakar petitor was taken by helicopter to Layla Hospital, deaths since the inaugural edition in 1979 made up of where he was sadly pronounced dead,” it added. bike riders Castera dwelt on the risks faced by riders. Dakar director David Castera revealed it was “We know that bikes are dangerous. “You set off in Australian defending bike champion Toby Price who the morning, you have a knot in your stomach some- was the first to discover the stricken Goncalves lying times because you don’t have any protection, you on the sand. have nothing. “They all know that, these riders,” said Goncalves was competing in his 13th edition of the Castera, a veteran of five Dakars on a motorbike. Dakar. He made his debut in 2006 when it was staged Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in in Africa, and took second to Marc Coma in 2015 in an official statement said Goncalves had died South America. “Paulo was someone who had been “attempting to accomplish the dream of winning one around for a long time, who we all knew, who was a of the most dangerous and toughest rallies in the feature of the rally,” Castera said. world”. He described him as “a highly distinguished” “So this is a very difficult time.” Ignacio Casale, sporting ambassador for Portugal while Portuguese leading the quad standings, said that “from the MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira paid tribute to moment I saw the crash, I was unable to focus. “I Goncalves’ “courage and bravery”. Castera said a spent the rest of the stage thinking about it. The result tribute would be held for the fallen competitor on WADI AL DAWASIR: Hero’s Portuguese motorbike rider Paulo Goncalves (C) is attended by medical staff after a doesn’t really matter today.” Sunday evening. crash during the Stage 7 of the Dakar 2020 between Riyadh and Wadi Al Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, yesterday. — AFP The Indian-backed Hero Motosports rider only On a sombre day in the desert Sainz tightened his made it to this year’s first Dakar staged in Saudi grip on the overall car standings with his third stage driver Stephane Peterhansel in third. over last year’s winner Al-Attiyah, with 13-time Dakar Arabia after recovering from a ruptured spleen in a win of this year’s edition. The 57-year-old Spaniard in Sainz, a two-time former world rally champion, is in champion Peterhansel a further nine minutes adrift. crash in his native Portugal in December. Following a Mini completed the longest special between Riyadh a strong position to add to his Dakar wins in 2010 and Joan Barreda came out on top in the bikes category surgery he said before the rally got underway: “It’s a and Wadi ad-Dawasir over two minutes clear of 2018. With seven stages completed and five day’s rac- with American Ricky Brabec retaining his overall lead victory for me to be here at the start.” Goncalves was Toyota rival Nasser Al-Attiyah with his fellow Mini ing to go he enjoys a comfortable 10 minute cushion finishing fourth on the day. — AFP Amir’s shooting grand prix 2020 Dakar Rally reaches hard-earned rest day in Riyadh By Abdellatif Sharaa follow at 2:30 pm. The archery finals will those involved in shooting are highly pro- Red Bull KTM factory team take place at 11:45. fessional, with the facilities and the mar- KUWAIT: The first five gold medals in HH Meanwhile, President of the Asian velous shooting complex, that is known the Amir Ninth International Shooting Shooting Federations Sheikh Salman Sabah worldwide. RIYADH: The 2020 Dakar Rally has tak- er on Stage 6. Despres and Horn’s team- Grand Prix, being held at Sheikh Sabah Al- Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah visited Rossi said this year’s competition has en competitors on a gruelling 3,700km mates Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA) and Blade Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex will be Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting special flavor because it is a strong prepa- route between Jeddah and Riyadh, and Hildebrand (USA) both got through the distributed today. Complex yesterday morning, to see first ration for shooters qualified for the Tokyo we’re only at the halfway mark! The stage to ensure all three of the OT3 by The preliminaries of the 10m Air rifle for hand how the tournament was progressing. 2020 Olympics. offroaders that remain in the race will Overdrive machines will start the second men will begin at 10:15 am, while the finals He was accompanied by Italian Shooting Meanwhile, Italian Coach Ricardo Rossi now take a well deserved Rest Day half of this Dakar. Guthrie Jr. is leading will be held at 12:00 noon. Federation President Luciano Rossi, who lauded the preparations and facilities for HH before tackling six more challenging Red Bull Off-Road Team USA’s podium The qualifications for the men’s 10m air expressed satisfaction to be participating the Amir Grand Prix, specially that the stages before the chequered flag falls in challenge, the Dakar debutant is current- pistol will be held at 12:30 pm, while the with 19 shooters in various events. shooting complex is among the best in the Qiddiya. ly fifth overall in the SxS contest. finals will be at 2:30 pm. Rossi spoke about the continued cooper- world. He said competition for the gold The first week of the inaugural Saudi “Today was a lot of dunes. It was fun Trap qualifications for men and women ation between Kuwait and Italian Shooting medal will be difficult due to the presence of Arabian Dakar concluded with a dash and I felt right at home, it was like will start at 9:00 am, while the women’s Federations, adding that Kuwait organizes the best shooters in the world, so it is really over 352 kilometres of sand dunes Glamis, California out there.” - Mitch finals will be at 12:45 pm, and the men’s will tournaments in an outstanding form, as difficult to have any expectations. between Ha’il and Riyadh. The pace was Guthrie Jr. relentless as competitors jostled for Overnight leader of the bike race, position in the open desert. Ricky Brabec (USA), was able to The three-way battle between Dakar increase his advantage over the chasing legends Carlos Sainz (ESP), Nasser Al- pack. Brabec will be hoping to avoid Kuwait national handball team begins training Attiyah (QAT) and Stephane Peterhansel another second week retirement, the fate (FRA) continues to intensify in the car that has met him at his previous three By Abdellatif Sharaa race. On Stage 6 it was the turn of Dakar outings. Peterhansel to lead home the frontrun- Looking to reel in Brabec when the KUWAIT: Kuwait National Handball ners, but Sainz and Al-Attiyah were both Dakar gets back underway on Sunday team began its training yesterday at able to minimise any lost time. will be the Red Bull KTM Factory Team Kuwait Club hall in preparation for its “Today’s rhythm was fast, slow, fast, riders; Toby Price (AUS), Matthias training camp, before the start of the 19th slow. In the high speed sections you Walkner (AUT) and Luciano Benavides Asian handball tournament which will needed to really concentrate. It’s not so (ARG). These three bikers are all placed start on Thursday and continues until much physically tiring as mentally in the Top 10, with two-time Dakar win- 27th January at the Hall of Sheikh Saad exhausting.” - Stephane Peterhansel ner Price best placed in third overall Al-Abdallah Complex with the participa- Two-time Dakar winner Sainz has the despite a tough end to Stage 6. tion of 13 Asian teams. Assistant coach of overall lead of the car category, a posi- “Around the 400-kilometre mark my the team Mohammad Mubarak said the tion he has held since the conclusion of rear tyre fell off. I don’t know why it training session included physical exercis- Stage 3. Sainz’s fellow Mini Buggy driver happened. Andrew Short gave me his es, followed by weight lifting. Peterhansel is third in the general classi- wheel so I didn’t have to ride in on the He said the training camp that was held fication, 16 minutes behind his team- rim.