Hero MotoSports Team Rally is profoundly grieved by the demise of its Portuguese rider, Paulo Goncalves who passed away this morning during the 7th stage of the Dakar Rally 2020.
Paulo, aged 40, met with a fatal accident after 276-kilometers of the 339-mile route Dakar Rally ride from Riyadh to Wadi Al Dawasir. The orgzers received an alert at 10:08 and dispatched a medical helicopter that reached the biker at 10:16 and found him unconscious after going into cardiac arrest. Following resuscitation efforts in situ, the competitor was taken by helicopter to Layla Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead.
He has had an illustrious journey in the rally-racing world, including a series of remarkable performances at the world's most prestigious rallies. He was crowned as the 2013 FIM Cross Country Rally World Champion. He also held the runners-up position at the Dakar Rally in 2015.
Wolfgang Fischer, Head - Hero MotoSports Team Rally said in s statement: "Words cannot describe our shock and loss at this moment. It isn't just a team, it is a family for us and we are devastated with the passing away of one of our members, Paulo Goncalves. He joined the Team in April last year and within no time became an integral part of the Hero MotoSports Team family."
"He will be dearly missed and always be fondly remembered by us. Paulo was a true champion, gentleman, reliable friend to everyone in the racing world and a role model as a sportsman and personality. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )