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Author: David Bodapati
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Harith Noah completes Dakar Rally 2020 in Dakar Experience class
Haradh (Saudi Arabia) 17 Jan 2020: Indian rider and Dakar debutante Harith Noah completed the Dakar Rally, albeit in a lesser Dakar Experience class for those who have not finished a stage, as the Keralite finished the 12th and final stage in a noteworthy 27th place as the 42nd Dakar Rally which was held for the first time in Saudi Arabia came to a conclusion.
The Sherco TVS rookie was forced to switch on to the Dakar Experience category, a new class which was introduced this year to allow those who have not completed a stage to rejoin the rally and complete it. CS Santosh the first rider to take part in Dakar and who also became the first Indian to complete the Dakar Rally successfully had to withdraw from this year’s rally midway as his team Hero MotoSports took a decision to withdraw from the rally as a mark of respect to the Paulo Goncalves, who died following a crash in the 7th stage. KP Arvind of TVS Racing is the second Indian who has completed the Dakar Rally in 2019, in his third attempt, but had to pull out due to an injury, which gave Harith Noah a chance to make his debut.
Harith Noah action on Day 2 finishing overall 65th on Monday. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 11 in 25th position in Dakar Experience category
File photo of Harith Noah on Day 2. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team Quddiya (Saudi Arabia), 16 Jan 2020: Dakar debutante Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team did a commendable job in the 744-km penultimate Stage 11 of the 42nd Dakar Rally in the Bike category finishing 25th in the 100-rider field. The Indian will be looking forward to complete the last stage on Friday to become the third Indian to compete the Dakar. However, he is taking part in the Dakar Experience category after failing to enter the third stage due to a bike issue.
But the new rule allows him to complete the rally. Noah timed 4 hours 48 minutes and 12 seconds to complete the 379-km Special Stage on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Empty Quarter, a vast expanse almost as big as France, boasts long, unbroken successions of dunes stretching for 80 kilometres. In contrast with yesterday, when the prevailing winds messed with stage 10 for cars, the weather today made the terrain far more hospitable as the increased humidity meant fewer competitors got stuck. The return trip to Haradh was raced at a much higher pace. This area serves as the crossroads from which the Dakar will leave the Empty Quarter and set course for Riyadh and Qiddiya.
In the Moto class, Pablo Quintanilla left nothing in the tank. The Chilean pulled out all the stops to topple Ricky Brabec, claiming his second stage in three days by a few seconds ahead of Matthias Walkner, who also threw caution to the wind. However, the overall leader will start the closing stage of the Rally with a healthy margin, as will Ignacio Casale, who left the win to Rafał Sonik in the quad category.
In the Cars category, Carlos Sainz seems to have the race in the bag despite Stéphane Peterhansel and Nasser Al-Attiyah unleashing their full might in a last-ditch attempt to claw back some time. While the Frenchman beat the Qatari by just a few seconds in today’s stage, it is Al-Attiyah who holds the provisional second place overall by a mere six seconds. The SSV race saw bigger gaps. “Chaleco” López put in a stunning performance today, but the overall is Casey Currie’s to lose. Meanwhile, Andrey Karginov added a new stage win to his tally as Kamaz blew the opposition out of the water with a 1-2-3-4 in Haradh.
Performance of the Day
The 25-year-old Jamie McCanney, racing in his first Dakar and second rally altogether, did not want to put the cart before the horse. The up-and-coming Brit, who caught the attention of Yamaha when he became junior enduro world champion, is getting stronger as the Dakar goes on, scoring his first top 7 finish yesterday before going one better on the road to Haradh, finishing in sixth place at only six minutes behind the winner. It was an auspicious performance by the Manxman, who is sitting within the top 15 overall within striking distance of the “best rookie” distinction.
Star of the day: 80
The number of stage wins by Stéphane Peterhansel in the greatest rally on Earth following his fourth triumph in 2020 in Haradh. The Frenchman, a six-time champion on a bike and seven-time champion in a car, has won 33 and 47 specials in these classes, respectively. He is the most prolific competitor in Dakar history by far. Trucker Vladimir Chagin, with 63 stage wins, is a distant second.
Woman rider of the Day
GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz took an important step closer to achieving her goal of finishing a 10th Dakar by completing stage 11 from Shubaytah to Haradh. Despite coming close to a fall, Laia finished the penultimate 379-kilometre special in a time of just over four-and-a-half hours, placing 18th for the day on her GasGas RC 450F.
The 12th and final stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally takes place tomorrow, with competitors departing Haradh and racing north-west to the finish line in Qiddya. With a strong result on the 374-kilometre special Laia can progress into the top 15 in the overall event classification.
Provisional results: Dakar Rally 2020, stage 11
1. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 4:09:22
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 4:09:31 +0:09
3. Luciano Benavides (KTM) 4:12:10 +2:48
18. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 4:33:14 +23:5225. Harith Noah (Sherco TVS) 4:48:12 +38.50
Provisional standings: Dakar Rally 2020 (after stage 11)
1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 38:33:28
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 38:47:24 +13:56
3. Toby Price (KTM) 38:56:02 +22:34
17. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 42:19:43 +3:46:15 -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 10, the first leg of the marathon stage in 32nd place: #Dakar2020
Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team on Wednesday. A DDPI image Shubaytah (Saudi Arabia), 115 Jan 2020: Indian rally-raid rider and Dakar debutant Harith Noah of Kerala garnered another stage successfully completing the Stage 10 in 32nd position on Wednesday in the Dakar Experience class of the Moto event.
Completing the first leg of the Marathon stage without any hiccups, the 29-year-old Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team rider is on the way to become the third Indian to complete Dakar, thanks to the new Experience class, which allows riders to finish the rally without qualifying for a ranking. Noah has missed Stage 3 due to a technical issue with his bike and will not be eligible for an overall ranking but is allowed to complete the rally in Dakar Experience class.
Sponsored by TVS, Sherco and Mountain Dew, Noah clocked 2 hours, 44 minutes and 41 seconds for the special stage today and is withing 33 minutes of the top riders.
The other Indian at the Dakar, CS Santosh, of Hero MotoSports Team Rally has withdrawn from the competition following the death of his teammate Paulo Goncalves on Jan 12.
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Jamie Shah, Shaurya Kapani win IndiKarting Clash of Karts; Rahul wins pro title: Ajmera IndiKarting
Winners all: The winners of the Ajmera IndiKarting that concluded on the outskirts of Mumbai on Sunday. Photo IndiKarting Mumbai, 15 Jan 2020: Jamie Shaw & Shaurya Kapani both from Mumbai, dominated proceedings in the Pro Senior & Junior categories, at the Ajmera IndiKarting Clash of Karts which concluded on Sunday. The event was a resounding success with over 650 registrations translating into 204 entries from across the country, in India’s largest karting event. The culmination of the 3 round, Clash of Pros Season 2 saw Rahul Deshpande win the Pro Senior while Shaurya Kapani won the Pro Junior.
Qualifying on pole in the Pro Senior, Jamie Shaw got off to an excellent start. He pulled away to win Race 1 comfortably. Rahul Deshpande was second, just ahead of Danesh Banajee. Race 2 start order is based on the entire results of Race 1 being reversed. Jah Wadia started on pole & held the lead for a while. Jamie Shaw however proved to be in excellent form. He made his way through the entire field & managed to take his second consecutive victory, once again ahead of Rahul & Danesh. Race 3 proved to be the most exciting. Danesh made a good start from third to move ahead of Rahul. He soon overtook Jamie to move into the lead. Rahul moved upto 2nd and he and Danesh were nose to tail for close to 20 laps. Danesh drove an excellent defensive race to win race 3, followed by Rahul & Jamie.
Raiden Samervel grabbed pole by a mere 5 hundreths of a second, ahead of Veer Sheth in the Pro Junior. He went on to win Race 1 ahead of Shaurya Kapani & Veer. The reverse grid Race 2, saw Shaurya notch an excellent victory ahead of Nirvaan Chandna & Hoshmand Elavia. Race 3 saw Veer Sheth start third & make his way up to win ahead of Shaurya & Raiden.
Sawan Sathyanarayan from Bengaluru won the Open & Amateur categories. Mumbai lads Ojas Surve & Sasvat Jain followed him in the Open category, while Chandan Hegde & Ojas were second & third in the Amateur Category.
Ayan Jussawalla (DPYA High School) triumphed in the Inter-School Category ahead of Advaith Jampa (Tridha School) & Aditya Patnaik (Delhi Public School). Sasvat Jain (Indian School of Design & Innovation) took top honours in the Inter-College category. Tej Patel (Podar International School) & Raghav Vaishnav (Jai Hind College) were second & third. Chintan Shah (Deltron Electricals) won the Corporate Category ahead of Mark Shaw (Shawman Software) and Aashwath Chowta (Afwah Media Consultants).
Isha Sharma from Belgaum was the winner of the Women’s category ahead of Aashi Hanspal & Maariyah Sheikh. Jamie Shaw beat Aman Singh Bhui & Kiran Pardeshi in the Veteran category, while Sawan S finished ahead of Chintan Shah & Prashant Sonpar in the Master category. Raghav Vaishnav triumphed in the Senior Plus category with Paarth Damani & Adil Shah completing the podium.
Fahad Kutty won the Pro Senior Plus category ahead of Mihir Patel & Raghav Vaishnav. Members of the media also participated in a special category for themselves, with Gaurav Davare of ZigWheels winning the race ahead of Saurabh Gamare (Exhibit Magazine). Rajesh Dsouza (Zee TV) was third.
The event was also the culmination of the 2nd season of the 3 round Clash of Pros. Rahul Deshpande was the overall winner of the Pro Senior category with a total of 63 points ahead of Jamie Shaw with 54 points. Danesh Banajee who missed the 2nd round due to a rib injury was third with 52 points. Shaurya Kapani was the overall winner in the Pro Junior with 28 points. He was followed by Veer Sheth on 61 points, while Raiden Samervel with 51 points was third.
The prestigious Akshay Patil Memorial Trophy was awarded to Veer Sheth.
It has been a fantastic event with so many newcomers trying the sport for the first time. 204 entries was tough to handle but everything went smoothly. A huge thanks to the Ajmera group, due to whom, we have this fantastic facility in Mumbai” said Rayomand Banajee, founder IndiKarting.
IndiKarting open class race in progress on Sunday. Photo Ajmera IndiKarting Results – Pro Senior –
Race 1 – 1. Jamie Shaw. 2. Rahul Deshpande. 3. Danesh Banajee
Race 2 – 1. Jamie Shaw. 2. Rahul Deshpande. 3. Danesh Banajee
Race 3 – 1. Danesh Banajee. 2. Rahul Deshpande. 3. Jamie Shaw
Pro Junior –
Race 1 – 1. Raiden Samervel 2. Shaurya Kapani 3. Veer Sheth
Race 2 – 1. Shaurya Kapani. 2. Nirvaan Chandna. 3. Hoshmand Elavia
Race 3 – 1. Veer Sheth. 2. Shaurya Kapani. 3. Raiden Samervel
Pro Senior Plus – 1. Fahad Kutty. 2. Mihir Patel. 3. Raghav Vaishnav.
Open – 1. Sawan Sathyanarayan. 2. Ojas Surve. 3. Sasvat Jain
Inter School – 1. Ayaan Jussawalla (DPYA High School) 2. Advaith Jampa (Tridha School) 3. Aditya Patnaik (Delhi Public School)
Amatuer – 1. Sawan Sathyanarayan. 2. Chandan Hegde. 3. Ojas Surve
Inter College – 1. Sasvat Jain (Indian School of Design & Innovation) 2. Tej Patel (Podar International School). 3. Raghav Vaishnav (Jai Hind College)
Women – 1. Isha Sharma. 2. Aashi Hanspal. 3. Maariyah Sheikh
Corporate – 1. Chintan Shah (Deltron Electricals) 2. Mark Shaw (Shawman Software) 3. Aashwath Chowta (Afwah Media Consultants)
Senior Plus – 1. Raghav Vaishnav. 2. Paarth Damani. 3. Adil Shah
Master – 1. Sawan Sathyanarayan 2. Chintan Shah. 3. Prashant Sonpar
Veteran – 1. Jamie Shaw. 2. Aman Singh Bhui. 3. Kiran Pardeshi
Media – 1. Gaurav (ZigWheels) 2. Saurabh Gamare (Exhibit Magazine) 3. Rajesh Dsouza (Zee TV)
Clash of Pros (Overall after 3 rounds)
Pro Senior – 1. Rahul Deshpande (63 points) 2. Jamie Shaw (54 points). 3. Danesh Banajee (52 points)
Pro Junior – 1. Shaurya Kapani (78 points) 2. Veer Sheth (61 points). 3. Raiden Samervel (51 points)
Pro Senior Plus – 1. Raghav Vaishnav (19 points) 2. Fahad Kutty (17 points) 3. Mihir Patel (13 points)
IndiKarting Open grid
#56 in Pro Junior is Nirvaan Chandna
#73 in Pro Senior is Jah Wadia
IndiKarting open class race in progress. Photo Ajmera IndiKarting
Pro Junior Grid -
Volkswagen Motorsport call for aspiring drivers for the Polo Cup 2020
Pune, 14 January 2020: Volkswagen Motorsport India has announced the Polo Cup for 2020. The drivers’ selection process for the 11th Edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already begun. Aspiring drivers with a keen interest in Motorsport can register themselves for the selection process on or before 20th January. This edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already witnessed 1,300 registration entries and counting.The two-day driver selection process scheduled on January, 25 & 26 at Ajmera Indi Karting Track, Mumbai will have Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, Rayomand Banajee, Driver Coach and former multiple National Champion, Steve Hodges, Karting Expert as the member of the Jury. The process will comprise of judging drivers on their overall driving skills which includes consistency in performance, understanding of racing lines, lap times, driving attitude and ability to learn. The selection process will also include a fitness test that will focus on the overall capabilities of race drivers to secure their position on the grid of the One-make series.
Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said: “The Volkswagen Polo is synonymous to a fun-to-drive experience, equipped with highest safety standards and build quality that is needed on the race track. We’re extremely delighted to bring back this carline for the 11th edition of Volkswagen Motorsport’s One Make Championship. The team has made relentless efforts in training young talent and providing opportunities of global Volkswagen Motorsport standards. We encourage all those interested participants to come witness the Race Polo at the upcoming Auto Expo 2020.
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is a proud moment for us to mention that with a decade’s presence in India, Volkswagen Motorsport continues to be the only OEM directly involved in Motorsport. Aspiring drivers from within the country and neighbouring countries have been trained by our program and have gone on to race internationally. With the 11th edition of this championship, Volkswagen would like to reiterate its continued commitment in promoting Motorsport in India.”
With over 1,600 registrations in 2019, Volkswagen Motorsport received the highest number of registrations for drivers’ selection in Indian history. Such great numbers is a testimony of growing popularity of the Motorsports in India and Volkswagen Motorsport’s continued efforts to provide a great platform to budding race drivers in India.
Registration Link :: https://www.volkswagen.co.in/en/volkswagen-motorsportindia/ championship.html
About Volkswagen Motorsport India: Taking ahead more than 50 years of enriching global motorsport legacy of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Motorsport India commenced operations with the Polo Cup India in 2010. The vast global expertise, coupled with rich dynamic history of the Group has enabled Volkswagen Motorsport India to progress swiftly and become the best one make series in a short span of time. The Volkswagen Polo R Cup enhanced awareness as well as underlined the technological advancement of Volkswagen in India. In 2015, Volkswagen Motorsport India shifted to Vento Cup and continued to provide a vital platform for the talented young racers to demonstrate their capabilities nationally and internationally by nurturing them. In the one-make series, all participating cars are technically identical with the same performance making it possible for only the most skilled drivers to leave an impact. Since 2017, Volkswagen Motorsport India has been running the Ameo Cup in the same format with a car that has been completely developed and built with local talent at Volkswagen plant in Pune. Successes in Indian Rallying: Under the Customer Sport Initiative, Volkswagen Motorsport India started providing teams and individuals running Volkswagen Polo rally cars in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) with technical assistance and spares support from 2013. The Volkswagen Polo since then has won several championships and is has become popular in national rallying to the extent that more than half the competing grid in 2018 comprised of Volkswagen Polo cars. -
Harith Noah finishes Stage 9, a creditable 29th: Dakar Experience category
#83 Koitha Veettil Harith Noah of Sherco TVS, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team during the Stage 4 on January 8, 2020. Photo – DPPI Media Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 14 Jan 2020: The lone Indian rider left in Dakar Rally, Harith Noah of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, did a creditable job finishing 29 in the 9th stage as the 42nd Dakar Rally resumed here on Tuesday after the cancellation of the Monday’s Stage 8, mourning the death of Paulo Goncalves of Hero MotoSports, the other Indian team which withdrew from this year’s rally as a mark of respect and mourning for team member who died due to cardiac arrest on Sunday following a crash.
The other Indian rider, the first from India to complete the Dakar, who was doing well in 35th place at the half-way stage will not be able to complete the rally due to the Team’s decision to withdraw.
Harith Noah, who could not start on Day 3, due to some technical issue with the bike, will not be eligible for an overall ranking and he is taking part to complete the rally in the new `Dakar Experience’ category that was included this year to allow those who have failed a stage to rejoin from the next day but without any ranking. Noah, however, did a splendid job clocking 4hours, 2minutes and 33 seconds for the 410-km Special Stage of the 886-km Stage 9 from Wadi al Dawasir Haradh.
The Rally was temporarily paused for all motorcycle class racers as a mark of respect to the deceased Portugese rider who tragically lost his life on Day 7.
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Stage 8 cancelled for motorbikes and quads: Dakar2020
File photo of Harith Noah from Day 2. Photo by Sherco TVS Rally team Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 12 Jan 2020: The decease of Paulo Gonçalves during today’s stage 7 between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir has left the entire Dakar, especially the bikers, in shock. Paulo, a beloved figure of the rally, was immensely respected by both veterans and less experienced competitors who admired and were inspired by him. After meeting the riders and making a decision together with the entire motorbike family, the organisers have decided to cancel stage 8 for the motorbikes and quads category, which was supposed to take place on a loop course around Wadi Al-Dawasir, in order to give the riders time to mourn their friend.
The entire Dakar family came together to pay tribute to Paulo at the briefing this evening.
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The Dakar mourns Indian Team Hero MotoSports’ Paulo Goncalves
One of the last pictures of the Portugese rider who died during Stage 7 between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir, 741 km – SS 546 km, in Saudi Arabia, on January 12, 2020. Photo Eric Vargiolu/ DPPI Wadi al Dawasir (Saudi Arabia), 12 Jan 2020: Stage 7 was marked by a crash that claimed the life of Paulo Gonçalves, who was taking part in his 13th Dakar Rally. The victories of Kevin Benavides (motorbikes) and Carlos Sainz (cars) take second place, leaving the centre stage to a memorial to Indian Team, Hero MotoSport’s Portuguese rider to be held during the daily briefing with all competitors present.
The Dakar mourns Paulo Gonçalves, one of the most experienced and beloved champions of the rally-raid family. The runner-up of the 2015 edition and 2013 cross-country rallies world champion crashed 276 km into a special that was ultimately won by his former teammate Kevin Benavides, who tried in vain to assist the Portuguese rider together with Toby Price, the first competitor to reach the scene of the accident.
A shocked Indian rider CS Santosh, Goncalves’ Hero MotoSports’ teammate, said that he could not believe that Paulo is no more. Santosh finished the stage in 32nd for an overall ranking of 35. He clocked 5 hours, 13 minutes and 43 seconds for the 741-km stage 7.
It was a nice tribute on the part of the Argentinian biker, who beat Joan Barreda and Matthias Walkner to claim his first stage win in 2020 after falling out of contention for the overall. Ricky Brabec remains in control of the general classification. In the quad category, Ignacio Casale also defended his lead in spite of Frenchman Simon Vitse’s second stage win in a row.
The car race again boiled down to a three-way fight featuring Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Stéphane Peterhansel, with the Spanish leader of the general classification taking the spoils in Wadi Al-Dawasir thanks to a rock-solid performance. “Chaleco” López surrendered the lead in the SSV category to American Casey Currie, who finished second right behind Blade Hildebrand, now racing under Dakar Experience rules. Finally, Andrey Karginov won the battle of the juggernauts by a slim margin over teammate Dmitry Sotnikov and strengthened his grip on the overall.
Performance of the Day
After coming close to a top 10 finish in Wadi Al-Dawasir, Dakar first-timer Martin Michek continued his progression and wrested the position of top rookie in the general classification from Jaume Betriu with 14th place overall. The Czech, one of the rising stars of the sport after a long career in motocross at the global level, has made no mistakes so far. However, a meagre 37 seconds separate Michek from Betriu, promising a fierce battle between the two men for the title of best Dakar rookie.
Start of the Day
3 seconds. The difference between truck stage winner Andrey Karginov and runner-up Dmitry Sotnikov after 546 km of racing! A wafer-thin margin that amounts to a distance of just 90 metres between the two Kamaz trucks after completing the stage at an average speed of almost 109 km/h…
More last photos of Goncalves by Florent Gooden/ DPPI Photo for A.S.O._DPPI by Florent Gooden -
Hero MotoSports mourns the death of Paulo Goncalves
Hero MotoSports pays tribute to Goncalves who died on Sunday. Twitter @Hero_MotoSports Hero MotoSports Team Rally is profoundly grieved to report that its Portuguese rider, Paulo Goncalves passed away this morning during the 7th stage of the Dakar Rally 2020. Paulo, aged 40, passed away from a fall sustained 276 kilometers into today’s special. The organizers 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 2013 FIM Cross Country Rally World Champion. He also held the runners-up position at the Dakar Rally in 2015. Mr. Wolfgang Fischer, Head – Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, ‘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 sportsman and personality. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.’
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Hero MotoSports’ Portugese rider Goncalves is no more: Dakar 2020
Hero MotoSports pays tribute to Goncalves who died on Sunday. Twitter @Hero_MotoSports Following is the official statement from the organisers of Dakar 2020:
Paulo Gonçalves, racing on motorbike no. 8, has passed away from a fall sustained 276 kilometres into today’s special. The organisers 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.
The 40-year-old Paulo Gonçalves was taking part in his 13th Dakar. He made his debut in 2006 and had finished four times in the top 10, including an impressive performance as runner-up to Marc Coma in 2015. Paulo Gonçalves, the 2013 cross-country rallies world champion, was sitting in 46th place overall after stage 6 of the 2020 Dakar.
The entire Dakar caravan would like to extend its sincere condolences to his friends and family.
