His thirteenth Dakar was fatal to him. The organization of the rally-raid, which is disputed for the first time in Saudi Arabia this year, announced Sunday the death of the Portuguese biker Paulo Gonçalves after a fall during the seventh stage. Found unconscious and in cardiopulmonary arrest when the medical team arrived, he was transported by helicopter to the hospital. In vain.
With his death, it is a privileged witness to the history of racing that disappears. At 40, the pilot had crossed three continents thanks to the race founded by Thierry Sabine: the dunes of North Africa where he raced his first Dakar in 2006, the deserts of South America where he had his best ranking with a second place overall in 2015 and today Saudi Arabia. "98% of the competitors have never driven there before, it's a big challenge for everyone", explained the one who finished four times in the Top 10 of the race before starting for his thirteenth participation .
In the bivouac, the course of "Speedy" Gonçalves inspired respect. “He was one of the most experienced among the best drivers, he was very considerate with everyone and helped the youngest ones to find their place. He was our big brother in the Dakar, remembers Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait (Yamaha), injured and forced to give up during the fourth stage. He was always happy and refused to let go. I remember her: "Come on, stop complaining" when we had a problem. "
He had joined his brother-in-law's team
An abnegation which was again illustrated during this Dakar, where he was able to narrowly align himself after a fracture of the spleen last December. During the third stage, where mechanical assistance is prohibited, his motor drops him. At kilometer 30, Gonçalves waits for three hours for his assistance truck, which brings him a new one. Under the overwhelming sun of the Saudi desert, the Portuguese repair his motorbike. After almost six hours at a standstill, the bike finally starts up again. "You should never give up guys," he trumpeted proudly to the France Televisions camera which films the repair.
The motorcycle was his life. It was his family, in the literal sense of the word. “I was immersed in it very early, explained the one who was born in the north of Portugal, facing the Atlantic in the seaside resort of Esposende. My father owned a motorcycle workshop and took me to a track to train. It allowed me to go professional at 17 years old. ”
As a family, even today. Last year, Paulo Gonçalves chose to leave the prestigious Honda team to join the Hero MotoSports team and his brother-in-law Joaquim Rodrigues. “He is an extraordinary driver, congratulated him before the start of the Dakar. With all his experience, he will bring new things to the team. ”
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"He was a great biker, always class in the race," continues Xavier de Soultrait. I remember a time in Argentina where we got lost together. We had collaborated to find the track, he hadn't played it personally. Losing a guy like that is horrible news. ”
