Portuguese driver Paulo Gonçalves is officially out of the race at Dakar2016, after a crash today, in the 11th stage, between La Rioja and San Juan, in Argentina. “Spedy” was found unconscious shortly after Control Point 2 and was eventually evacuated by helicopter to the nearest hospital for medical observation.
According to the publication of his advisor on the Facebook page of the Esposende pilot, when he was transported to the hospital, Gonçalves was "aware".
The 2013 all-terrain world champion, born in Esposende, who was four days ahead in the Dakar2016 motorcycle classification, started today in 8th place in the classification, after the organization penalized him by 39.56 minutes.
In recent days, things were going wrong for Paulo Gonçalves: he suffered a first fall in the 8th stage, then, in the 10th stage, he had an engine problem that delayed him immensely and almost made him give up, eventually being saved thanks to the cancellation part of the “special” of the day, due to the high temperatures, lack of security and added difficulties for the peloton. But the second fall, this Thursday, even dictated his removal from the race.
On Saturday, during the 7th stage, Paulo Gonçalves interrupted his own race, to spend about 11 minutes with the Austrian Matthias Walkner (KTM), who had suffered a fall and broken his leg.
With that, the Portuguese had lost the lead in the general classification of motorcycles, after being 31st in the race.
But the organization ended up awarding the fair play Paulo Gonçalves, who, after adjustments, ended up in 3rd place in the stage, 1.56 minutes from the winner, Frenchman Antoine Meo (KTM), and three seconds from his teammate, Argentine Kevin Benavides (Honda).
The revised result of Saturday's stage kept Portuguese at the top of the overall standings, with 3.12 minutes ahead of Australian Toby Price (KTM), 2nd place.
After the abandonment of Carlos Sousa (Mitsubishi), in the cars, in the 5th stage, due to the loss, and the Algarvian Ruben Faria, in the 6th stage, due to a fall that resulted in a fractured right wrist and mouth injuries, there are only three Portuguese still on the Dakar, all on motorcycles. They are Hélder Rodrigues (Yamaha), who today, at the start of the stage, was 6th in General, Mário Patrão (KTM), who was 16th, and Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda), who was 61st.
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