A spectator of Italian origin who witnessed the ninth stage of the Rally live
Dakar died this Tuesday after being run over by one of the competitors.
Mourning in the Dakar
The fan, who died on Tuesday, was located behind a dune and was evacuated by helicopter for medical assistance, but died on the move, the Dakar organizers explained in a statement.
This is the first death that has occurred in the current edition of the Dakar.
According to calculations, 73 people, of which 27 have been pilots, have lost their lives in the history of the Dakar.
(Do not stop reading: Dibu Martínez and the ‘idiots in the goal’: strong taunt of the French Hugo Lloris).
#International Events During the night of Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at the Haradh camp, the Dakar Rally organization released a statement confirming the death of an Italian spectator who was enjoying the race in one of the dunes. pic.twitter.com/RGVNPqBhGo
– CR Events (@Eventscr2022) January 10, 2023
The ‘Empty Room’ is coming
After the rest day, the Dakar did not let up. The ninth special, between Riyadh and Haradh, in Saudi Arabia, was a trap that caught two Spaniards. Joan Barreda (Honda) found it difficult to abandon immediately on motorcycles and Carlos Sainz (Audi) was reluctant to do the same in cars, but, finally, he had no choice but to give up.
Among those who raffled the challenges presented by the stage between Riyadh and Haradh, the Argentine Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) -second victory- and the French Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive) -third victory- stood out, as well as the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), more leader.
Loeb, who showed up late at the start – he cited a mechanical problem – took a 2:10 penalty but avoided the headache of opening the track and added his third stage win – second in a row – in the 2023 Dakar.
In addition, there was a hat-trick from Prodrive at the finish line. In a round day for him, the Alsatian benefited from a mechanical problem for South African Henk Lategan (Toyota) and is now on the podium overall, although 1h43:08 behind Al-Attiyah.
The sheik takes the second, the Brazilian Lucas Moraes, 1h21:57. Ahead of him, he has five stages left to manage his ample income and achieve his fifth Touareg. Carlos Sainz (Audi) exemplified what the Dakar is, an endurance rally, although he had no choice but to abandon. He overturned at kilometer 5 of the special, his car was left with its wheels up, they were able to turn it around and, according to the organization, chest pain led him to get on the helicopter to go to the hospital in Riyadh, but in mid-flight he He asked them to turn around because he wanted to resume the raid.
The ‘Matador’ took the assistance route with the aim of re-engaging again, but in the bivouac they could not repair the Audi and thus ended his sixteenth
Dakar. The three-time champion has not abandoned since 2017.
This Wednesday, the Dakar approaches the feared ‘Empty Quarter’ (Empty Quarter) in the tenth stage, between Haradh and Shaybah, with 624 liaison kilometers and only 114 special, the shortest of the entire rally.
SPORTS
*With EFE
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