Wadi ad-Dawasir (Saudi Arabia) (AFP)

"Every day, when we get on our bikes, we know we are risking our lives," said Australian Toby Price, last year's Dakar winner on a motorcycle, Monday, the day after the death of Portuguese driver Paulo Gonçalves after a violent fall.

Price (KTM) was the first to alert when he saw the body of the biker lying next to his motorcycle at km 276 of the seventh stage.

Q: How did you find out about the accident?

A: "It was a fast track on a wide open plateau, gas at full throttle. Just at the last minute, the GPS alarm sounded, I looked up, I saw a black spot in the distance . It’s never a good thing because we were driving very fast there. I got there and I saw Paulo on the ground. I understood immediately that it was serious. tried to do everything we could to try to get him to respond. We called the helicopters and the race management as quickly as possible. I tried to put him on the side, because his back probably had suffered considering We continued to call for help, we were told the helicopter was arriving. We continued to check its vital organs. Unfortunately, we did not get a response. "

Q: Wasn't this stage too fast?

A: "It is certain that this special was very fast, it ran at 120 km / h on average. When we drive at these speeds, it is difficult to take our eyes off the track, to look at the road- book, to check that you are making the right choice, that you are going in the right direction. It is no one's fault. When it is your time, it is your time. Unfortunately, yesterday (Sunday) was the Paulo Day. I'm glad we stayed with him as long as possible. I remember that in 2017 he stopped when I broke my leg to try to comfort myself. It was the it's a good thing to be there for him. "

Q: Can such an accident lead a driver to think that it is madness, that it is better to stop racing the Dakar on a motorcycle?

A: "It was not just yesterday. Every day when we get on our motorcycles, we know that we are risking our lives. But you will not find anyone in the bivouac to tell you that he will stop the race. C "is our passion. And it was the same for Paulo, he had been racing for many years in the Dakar, he loved the event, he loved sports. Everyone had a lot of respect for him, he was always smiling , always happy in the bivouac. We know the risks we run, we just hope and pray that nothing will happen to us. "

Q: Will it be easy to drive at the limit?

A: "For sure we always run at the limit. We also know that the worst scenario can happen in a very small crash. It all depends on how you fall, how the motorcycle throws you to the ground. Yesterday, c "Was a crash at high speed, at full throttle. It was part of this stage unfortunately. This seventh stage of the Dakar-2020 will always remain a sad memory.

© 2020 AFP