The Hague (AFP)
Dutch biker Edwin Straver, hospitalized since a serious fall during the eleventh stage of the Dakar-2020 rally in Saudi Arabia, died of his injuries on Friday, said his wife.
The 48-year-old pilot, who participated in his third Dakar and competed without assistance, had crashed on January 16 during the penultimate stage and had fractured his spine.
He had been helicoptered to a hospital in Ryad and remained in intensive care for several days before being repatriated to the Netherlands on Wednesday.
"Edwin died on Friday morning surrounded by his relatives," his wife Anja den Hollander told AFP.
The injuries suffered being too great, it was decided in consultation with his family to end his breathing aid, had reported the Dutch specialized site Rally Maniacs.
The 42nd edition of the Dakar was bereaved during the seventh stage by the death of the Portuguese biker Paulo Gonçalves. Since the first edition of the rally, 25 drivers have died, including 20 bikers.
"We all know that it is a sport that involves risks. I try to drive carefully (...) but something can always go wrong," reacted Edwin Straver, quoted by Rally Maniac.
© 2020 AFP