Michal Hernik dies in third stage
January 7, 2015
Dakar Rally organizers said in a statement on Tuesday that KTM motorbike rider Michal Hernik was killed during the third stage of the race, between Villa Carlos Paz and Chilecito in Argentina. The statement read that the Polish driver was found lifeless at just after 16:00 local time, some 300 meters from the track. The cause of his death remains unknown.
Stage director Etienne Lavigne said the 39-year-old was found without his helmet but that his bike showed no signs of having been involved a crash. Hernik's death is the 66th in the history of the rally.
Organizers had been searching for Hernik by helicopter after his tracker had stopped sending a signal, and he had failed to turn up at the stage finish.
Hernik's death is the fifth in the gruelling off-road race since it moved to South America in 2009 due to the unstable safety situation across the Sahara Desert.
On the course on Tuesday, German-South African duo Dirk von Zitzewitz and Giniel de Villiers closed the gap on leaders Nasser Al-Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel (Qatar/France) by more than two minutes after finishing in second behind Argentinean pair Orlando Terranova and Bernado Graue of Mini All4 Racing.
Leader Al-Attiyah finished in fifth but retains a 5:18 minute lead on Zitzewitz and de Villiers. Terranova and Graue are in third having taken 18:05 minutes longer than Al-Attiyah and 13 minutes more than second.
jh/bk (dpa, SID)