It is with sadness that we report the passing of Paulo Goncalves at the 2020 Dakar Rally.
On Sunday’s 741km-long stage (of which 546km is special stage), Goncalves crashed heavily at the 276km point. The event organisers received an alert at 10:08am this morning from his motorcycle, and dispatched a medical helicopter. It reached the stricken rider just eight minutes later, but they found the Portuguese rider unconscious after suffering cardiac arrest.
Despite attempts to rescucitate the Portuguese rider, Goncalves was prounounced dead shortly after arriving at the Layla Hospital.
Goncalves, 40, was tackling his 13th Dakar Rally. He previously finished four times in the top ten, with a Dakar Rally career highlight second place overall finish to Marc Coma in 2015. He was lying 46th overall this year.
The entire motorsport fraternity extends its sincere condolences to his friends and family.