Spanish biker Carles Falcon died Monday January 15 at the age of 45, a little more than a week after the fall which left him in serious condition during the second stage of the Dakar-2024, announced his team, TwinTrail Racing Team.
“Carles has left us. The medical team confirmed that the neurological damage caused by the cardiorespiratory arrest during the accident is irreversible.wrote the training in a press release.
The pilot was the victim of a fall on the 2e stage of the Dakar 2024 between Al-Henakiyah and Al-Duwadimi, in Saudi Arabia, on January 7. He was airlifted to the nearest hospital in Al-Duwadimi before being rushed to Riyadh hospital.
The motorcyclist was repatriated a few days later, with the agreement of doctors and family, to Spain. He suffered in particular from a fracture of the C2 vertebra and cerebral edema, according to Twintrail communications manager Carla Prat.
“Despite all the efforts of doctors, the pilot succumbed to his injuries (…). To his family, to his loved ones, the organization and the competitors of the Dakar present their most sincere condolences. announced Monday evening Amaury Sport Organization in a press release.
Twenty-eight deaths since 1979
Originally from Tarragona in Catalonia, Carles Falcon was a trained engineer and motorcycle instructor. A great sportsman, he practiced trail running and took part in his second Dakar, after a 68e place in 2022. He was entered in the “Original by Motul” category, without mechanical assistance, with bib number 135.
Since the first edition of the Dakar in 1979, twenty-eight competitors, including twenty-three bikers, have died during or following the rally-raid, according to a count from Agence France-Presse (AFP), a figure testifying to the dangerousness of this category, where drivers sometimes reach dizzying speeds. “A lot of sadness. We organize this event so that it is a party. But we know that it is a risky sport, all the competitors know it. When that happens it’s always a painful moment.”reacted to AFP David Castera, the boss of the Dakar.