Past winner Meoni dies on Dakar Rally

[stratos]

His death comes a day after Spanish rider Jose Manuel Perez [11/01/05 - 12:42]

Fabrizio Meoni.




Fabrizio Meoni, winner in 2001 and 2002, died of a heart attack on Tuesday's 11th stage of the Dakar-2005 rally, organisers said.

"We sent a heliopter when he fell and they found his heart had stopped. Sadly, they were unable to revive him," said rally director Etienne Lavigne.

The Italian motorcycle rider was 47. He leaves a widow and two children. His death comes a day after Spanish rider Jose Manuel Perez, 41, died of injuries sustained in a crash last week.

There have been 22 deaths since the rally started 27 years ago.

"It is with huge sadness that the rally was informed this morning of the death of Fabrizio Meoni, one of the greatest rally-raid champions ever, after a crash just after checkpoint 1, at 184km at 1015GMT during stage 11 between Atar and Kiffa," organisers said in a statement.


"A medical helicopter of the organisation was immediately sent to the scene of the accident at 1036GMT and the doctors treated the champion for 45 minutes.

"However, the two-time Dakar winner, aged 47 years, died of his injuries at 1111GMT.

"The entire Dakar caravan wishes to express its sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his many admirers."

French rider David Fretigne discovered Meoni and signalled for help. "We loved him deeply. He was someone who really made a mark on the Dakar. He was a great guy, a big comedian, a very good advocate. We are all terribly affected by this news," said Lavigne.

Meoni, who was taking part in his 13th and last Dakar Rally, was in second place in the overall bike standings.



RIP Fabrizio

[ScionDriver]

That's a shame. I haven't realy followed Dakar until this year, but its always a tragedy when someone dies. I'm sure he was a great guy. RIP.

[Spastik_Roach]

What an awful thing to happen, A Dale Earnhardt sort of thing, he died doing the thing he loves. RIP.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Here in Australia they have the Dakar highlights package on SBS every day. I saw the footage of the direct aftermath of the crash. it didn't look like too serious an impact, but their was a figure in motorbike leathers and a pool of liquid around it.

I Heard it was a heart attack that killed him though, not the accident?

[netburner]

Here in Australia they have the Dakar highlights package on SBS every day. I saw the footage of the direct aftermath of the crash. it didn't look like too serious an impact, but their was a figure in motorbike leathers and a pool of liquid around it.

I Heard it was a heart attack that killed him though, not the accident?

Wrong. That was the first information that came from the medicals, but they corrected this. He broke his neck and so he was (nearly) dead when David Freteigne found him there.

Hope there won't be more dead drivers up to sunday...

[UCR]

I was just watching the dakar last night on eurosport.

Hard luck, but we all die.

Im going to die. cant wait.

[Rockefella]

I was just watching the dakar last night on eurosport.

Hard luck, but we all die.

Im going to die. cant wait.

cheers. but on a more sorrowful note, RIP.

[stratos]

I was just watching the dakar last night on eurosport.

Hard luck, but we all die.

Im going to die. cant wait.

com on jim please don't joke with this type of things ! its really a a shame and he said in the start of the rally that was going to be his last dakar because after that he wanted to spend more time with his family

RIP fabrizio

[stratos]

Meoni death overshadows Dakar Rally Cancellation of motorbike race Wednesday [12/01/05 - 00:15]



The death of Italian motorcyclist Fabrizio Meoni - a two-time Dakar winner - overshadowed the 11th stage of the Dakar Rally here Tuesday, won by Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt, driving a Volkswagen, and Spain's Marc Coma, riding a KTM.

Meoni, a Dakar Rally winner in 2001 and 2002 and who was in second place in the overall bike standings, died of a heart attack after a crash, organisers said. "We sent a helicopter when he fell and they found his heart had stopped. Sadly, they were unable to revive him," said rally director Etienne Lavigne.

The Italian motorcycle rider was 47. He leaves a widow and two children. "The entire Dakar caravan wishes to express its sincere condolences to his family, his friends and his many admirers." His death came a day after Spanish rider Jose Manuel Perez, 41, died of injuries sustained in a crash last week.

There have been 22 deaths since the rally started 27 years ago. Organisers later announced that the motorbike section of the 12th stage on Wednesday - a gruelling 819km run, with a 586km timed special, from Kiffa to Bamako, the capital of Mali - had been cancelled at the behest of the riders out of respect for Meoni.

"To pay tribute to Fabrizio, the riders don't want to race tomorrow. It's a choice that I can understand and respect, even if it's not mine. They will be taken to Bamako by plane," said Lavigne.

Frenchman David Fretigne, who was one of the first to come to Meoni's crash site, echoed comments by other riders that the area where the Italian crashed was not a fast part of the special, which had been cut by 256km because of adverse weather conditions. "I really don't understand what happened. According to me, he was maybe looking at his road instruments," said Fretigne. "We had just refuelled so the bikes were pretty heavy, he maybe lost balance on a small dune with the weight. The scene of the crash wasn't dangerous.

"We had just lost ourselves and we were looking for the right track. Cyril (Despres) was on the good track and took off. Fabrizio followed in his dust and 300m later I saw (Marc) Coma with his hand in the air so I stopped.

"I immediately knew it was serious. There was a lot of bleeding. I had trouble finding the distress signal and finally launched it. I then waited for the helicopter because I couldn't just leave," Fretigne said.

Spanish rider Isidre Esteve Pujol added that the "track wasn't dangerous at that place and we weren't riding very fast at that moment. It's very hard to explain what happened, because his fall wasn't spectacular at all."

Team-mate Jean Brucy said Meoni had said only on Monday how much he was looking forward to his retirement when Dakar-2005 wound up in six days time. "He said to me 'I've been completely selfish for 10 years and now I'll be able to dedicate myself to my family'," Brucy said.

Peterhansel said he had not thought that Meoni was in a bad way when he passed him at the crash site. "I didn't think it was serious. I thought he had broken a collarbone or wrist," the defending car champion said. "It's terrible, unbearable. What's astonishing is that the spot where it happened he was definitely not going fast. It's really unlucky."

[Tuscan666]

What an awful thing to happen, A Dale Earnhardt sort of thing, he died doing the thing he loves. RIP.

Proberley the best way to go.

[NAZCA C2]

Thats terrible news. Meoni was a great rider. Too bad the Dakar doesn't get more coverage (especially here in the US).

[dydzi]

it was going to be his last dakar
i liked him a lot, i've been following dakar since 1999

[spi-ti-tout]

RIP Fabrizio....
you will be missed in Dakar

[DasModell]

i was shocked . and still am . my favorite Dakar rider ..
RIP Fabrizio Meoni