Monster Energy Honda rider Paulo Gon̤alves is the latest high profile rider forced to abandon the 2019 Dakar Rally as a result of a crash during the fifth stage
Gon̤alves, who had fallen at the kilometre 155 of the special sustaining a damaged right wrist. Gon̤alves, with twelve Dakar participations under his belt, was forced to retire from the race.
British rider Sam Sunderland stopped to assit along with HRC team-mate Nacho Cornejo. Sunderland was later awarded the time back that he spent with Gon̤alves which was enough for him to take the stage win.
"I don't even know how I fell," Gon̤alves said. "I think I hit a hidden stone and that was disguised in a fesh-fesh (Dust) area, I felt a lot of pain after the fall.
"I am unable to continue in this condition. I thank Sam Sunderland for the help on the spot!" he added.
"I stayed one night in the hospital as a precaution for dizziness, loss of sensation in the right hand and compression of some vertebra. Now I'm fine, I've been told that there's no serious problem so now it's time to recover well.
"My Dakar 2019 ended sooner than I expected. I felt good, I was riding with a steady pace to be able to guarantee a finish, but unfortunately I fell. What is done is done, we can‰Ûªt back on the past, so we have no choice but to move on,"
