French racer dies on Dakar

Published on Wednesday 7 January 2009 22:40

FRENCH motorcyclist Pascal Terry has been found dead after being reported missing during the second stage of the Dakar Rally on Sunday.

The 49-year-old had informed race control on Sunday that his Yamaha had run out of petrol at the 197-kilometre mark between Santa Rosa and Puerto Madrid but later could not be contacted by organisers.

A search was launched the next day, and his body was found by local police early yesterday morning.

"The motorcyclist was found in an area that is very inaccessible with very dense vegetation 15 metres from his bike," said a statement from race officials. "He had taken off his helmet and had taken shelter with food and water next to him."

Meanwhile, British driver Paul Green's condition has improved following the serious accident in the first stage on Saturday. Green suffered severe chest injuries in the crash, and his co-driver Matthew Harrison was also badly hurt.

Juan Jose San Emeterio, a senior doctor at the Hospital Modelo, said of Green: "He was checked by surgeons and neurosurgeons, but his improvement prompted us to think about taking him off the respirator.

"He knows where he is, he knows he had a car crash. We didn't talk to him too much because he has been awake for less than 24 hours, but he knows what happened in general."