Tragedy in Dakar
Argentine pilot dies

SANTA ROSA DELLA PAMPA (ARGENTINA)– The Dakar 2012 begins in tragedy. During the first stage the 38-year-old Argentine pilot Jorge Martinez Boero died. Riding his Beta RR 450, Martinez failed to recover from the serious injuries he suffered as a result of the bad crash in the first phase of the stage between Necochea and Energy, in the Buenos Aires area, just before the time check. Boero fell and slammed violently, the sources said, on a manhole on the dirt road he was following. The incident caused severe chest and head trauma, resulting in immediate transport to the helicopter hospital in Mar del Plata. At the second experience in the Dakar – last year he retired during the sixth stage, ed – he died during transport by helicopter. The incident occurred at 10.19 am, when Boero had traveled 55 kilometers on the first leg from Mar del Plata to Santa Rosa de la Pampa. “Because of the fall – reads a note – the pilot had a cardiac arrest. He was assisted within five minutes by the emergency medical personnel present on the helicopter. But the doctors were unable to revive him”.

THE LAST MESSAGE – Before the start of the first stage Martinez had posted a message on his Twitter profile: “Best wishes to all. Thank you for your messages, I am ready to give everything. What does not kill, strengthens us”. In another post, instead, he told of the first difficulties: “Unfortunately the truck for the assistance of my bike has slammed and it is impossible to repair it. But I won’t give up, I’ll give it my all and get to Lima. ”

THE RACE– The 443 participating vehicles, including cars, motorbikes, quads and trucks, will have to face a course that from the Atlantic coast of Argentina will take them in two weeks to Lima, Peru, through 8,373 km, 4,406 of which are special stages. The arrival is scheduled for January 15 in Lima. The quads (30 participants) and the motorbikes (178) were the first to leave, after which it fell to cars (161) and trucks (70). A large crowd framed the start of the race, with tens of thousands of fans celebrating the new year on the beach to wait for the start. Since Friday, however, the tourist resort of Mar del Plata has been invaded by tourists and the ‘Village Dakar’, installed in the naval base of the Navy where vehicle inspections took place, has always been sold out.

(01 January 2012)