Paulo Goncalves dead: Portuguese motorcyclist dies in crash at Dakar Rally stage 7

The incident occurred on stage seven of the race

Paulo Goncalves, pictured on the eve of the Silk Way Rally in July (Getty)

Portuguese veteran motorcyclist Paulo Goncalves has died in a crash at the Dakar Rally, officials confirmed on Sunday.

The incident occurred on stage seven of the race during a 339-mile route from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to Wadi Al Dawasir.

A helicopter was sent to the scene where medics found Goncalves unconscious, having gone into cardiac arrest. He was airlifted to Layla Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 40-year-old had recovered from surgery on his spleen in order to make the rally, saying: “It’s a victory for me to be here at the start.”

Goncalves was 46th overall when the race resumed on Sunday following a rest day. He first took part in the race in 2006 and has recorded four top-10 finishes, including runner-up in 2015.

It is the first death at the race since Michal Hernik in 2015.