Organisers of the Dakar Rally have announced that amateur rider Pierre Cherpin has died from injuries he sustained in a crash last week.
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The 52-year-old crashed 178 kilometres into the rally’s seventh stage on Sunday, 10 January.
“During his transfer by medical plane from Jeddah to France, Pierre Cherpin died from the injuries caused by his fall during the seventh stage from Ha’il to Sakaka,” Dakar Rally organisers said in a statement on Friday.
“The driver crashed at km 178, around 1:00 pm. Doctors found him unconscious when they reached him by helicopter. Taken to Sakaka’s hospital, the medical report revealed a severe head trauma with loss of consciousness.
“Urgently operated in neurosurgery, he had since then been kept in an induced coma, his condition having remained stable over the past few days.
“He was airlifted from Sakaka to Jeddah’s hospital from where he was going to be transferred to Lille’s hospital,” the statement added.
“This 52-year-old entrepreneur and sailing enthusiast, had no other ambitions than to live an adventure, without really worrying about the podium: ‘I am an amateur, I don’t want to win but to discover landscapes that I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise. Everything is exciting: riding the bike, living your passion, getting to know yourself’”.
“The entire Dakar caravan would like to extend its sincere condolences to his family, relatives and friends.”
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