Ten-time champion Stephane Peterhansel extended his Dakar Rally lead on Friday, but the endurance event was once again hit by tragedy when a French motorcyclist was killed.
As Peterhansel went quickest on the seventh stage between Calama in Chile and Salta in Argentina to build a three-minute lead over Nasser Al-Attiyah, the event witnessed its third death in two days.
Rider Thomas Bourgin, 25, was involved in a collision with a police car which was coming in the opposite direction on the start of Friday’s stage in Calama; the Frenchman, unfortunately, was killed instantly, according to the race’s official website.
Bourgin was in 68th place overall in the motorcycle rankings of his first Dakar.
Al-Attiyah, who had reduced his deficit to Peterhansel to a single minute during yesterday’s sixth stage, was sixth on Friday in his Red Bull Buggy, 1min 56sec behind. The Qatari remains second overall, but is now 3min 14sec behind Peterhansel.