Monday, January 2, 2012

Death mars Dakar rally opening



THE death of Argentinian rider Jorge Martinez Boero overshadowed the first day of the Dakar Rally yesterday during which Russia's Leonid Novitzkiy lead the cars section and Chilean Francisco Lopez the motorbikes.

The 38-year-old Boero, making his second appearance on the gruelling rally, suffered a heart attack after being seriously injured in a fall from his Beta bike 2km from the end of the stage between Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa de la Pampa in the west of Argentina.

Organisers said that Boero received medical attention within five minutes of the crash and was airlifted by helicopter, but died on his way to hospital.

Boero, they said, "was the victim of a fall at kilometre 55 of the special of the first stage between Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa".

"The rider suffered a cardiac arrest following his fall and was attended five minutes after the accident by the medical staff, who reached the place of the incident by helicopter.


"The organisers of the rally offer their heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones."

"Despite their best efforts, the doctors were unable to resuscitate the pilot, who died while he was being taken to hospital.

Boero was the son of a former Argentinian racing champion of the same name who died in 2004. His only previous Dakar Rally appearance last year ended when he crashed into a ravine during stage six in Chile and had to wait eight hours before being rescued.

Boero's death was the 21st of a competitor during a Dakar Rally, organised 29 times in Africa from 1979 before moving to South America in 2009.

In total, 59 people have died during the rally, including more than 20 spectators.

"It's a real tragedy. He's a boy that we knew well," said race director Etienne Lavigne. "There's a lot of emotion at the camp tonight. It will be tough to start tomorrow. But it's the biggest tribute we could give him. The competition continues."