Elmer Symons, a South African motorcycle rider, died in a crash
on the fourth day of the Dakar Rally in Morocco, organizers said on
Tuesday.
Elmer Symons
The death of the rider overshadowed the fourth day of the Rally
in Morocco.
Symons, a 29-year-old company manager, whose firm exported metal
parts from the United States to South Africa, was competing in his
first Dakar Rally.
"Today at 9.16, the race headquarters received an in-track alert
coming from km 142 of the fourth stage from Er Rachidia to
Ouarzazate," organizers said.
"On the site of the crash by helicopter eight minutes later, the
race direction could only record the death, confirmed 10 minutes
later by the medical helicopter," they added.
While Spain's double world rally champion Carlos Sainz stretched
his overall lead in the car category with compatriot Marc Coma
scaling the motorcycle standings, earlier events reinforced the
rally's deadly reputation.
The race has now claimed 49 lives in its 29-year existence, 24
of them competitors.
Organizers said in a statement on the rally Web site
(www.dakar.com) that KTM rider Symons, a 29-year-old resident in
the United States, was killed in a crash on the sandy 405km stage
between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate.
He was competing for the first time in the desert rally as a
driver, helped by his brother Kingsley, after following two
previous editions as part of an assistance team.
Symons had been 18th overall in the event, considered one of the
most challenging and dangerous in the world of motor-sport, which
ends in the Senegalese capital on January 21.
The Dakar started in Portugal on Saturday under a previous cloud
of safety and security concerns.
Two children were killed by rally vehicles last year while
Australian motorcyclist Andy Caldecott died in a separate
crash.
The year before, motorcyclists Juan Manuel Perez of Spain and
Italy's Fabrizio Meoni were killed while competing.
After Tuesday's stage, Sainz led Volkswagen team mate Giniel de
Villiers of South Africa by one minute and 55 seconds with
Portugal's Carlos Sousa in third place as competitors confronted
their first dunes. France's Jean-Louis Schlesser won the stage.
Former skiing champion and current title-holder Luc Alphand of
France was sixth overall for Mitsubishi while team mate and
multiple winner Stephane Peterhansel dropped back due to a burned
out clutch.
Defending champion Coma took the overall lead in the motorcycle
section from compatriot Isidre Esteve after dominating the day and
is now storming ahead with a 12 minutes lead.
(Source: China Daily/Agencies January 10, 2007)
