By Patrick Filleux for Dailytelegraph.com.au
THE death of Argentinian rider Jorge Martinez Boero overshadowed the first day of the Dakar Rally which ended with Russia's Leonid Novitzkiy leading the cars section and Chilean Francisco Lopez the motorbikes.
The 38-year-old Boero, making his second appearance on the gruelling rally, suffered a heart attack after being seriously injured in a fall from his Beta bike 2km from the end of the stage between Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa de la Pampa in the west of Argentina.
Organisers said Boero received medical attention within five minutes of Sunday's crash but died while being
helicoptered to hospital.
"Despite their best efforts, the doctors were unable to resuscitate the rider who died while he was being taken to hospital," they said.
"The organisers of the rally offer their heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones." Boero was the son of a former Argentinian racing champion of the same name who died in 2004.
His only previous Dakar Rally appearance last year ended when he... Read Full Article