The pilot Paulo Gonalves dies in an accident in the Dakar

Paulo Gonalves passed away this Sunday during the seventh stage of the Dakar rally, according to the organization of the rally.

The 40-year-old Portuguese pilot suffered a severe accident at about kilometer 263 of the stage between Riyadh and Wadi Al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), which had the longest timed stretch of the entire rally, with a total of 546 kilometers of competition.

After the accident, which caused a cardiorespiratory arrest, the assists have tried to resuscitate him in situ. Later, the Portuguese was transferred by helicopter to LAYLA hospital, where, his death was certified.

Gonalves, a native of Esposende, participated for the thirteenth time in the toughest rally in the world and, for the first time, did with the Indian motorcycle brand Hero, after having competed before with the Japanese Honda, with which in 2015 it was second in the Dakar, the best result of his career. In his palm also highlighted the two stages won in the test, one in 2011 and another in 2015, in Uyuni.