Jan 9, 2006, 14:38 GMT
Kiffa, Mauretania - Australian motorcycle rider Andy Caldecott died on Monday following a crash in the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, organisers said. He was 41.
The KTM rider Caldecott, who won the third stage last week and was ranked 10th in the bike standings, crashed crashed 250 kilometres into the 599km stage from Nouakchott to Kiffa.
'We received the news that Andy Caldecott crashed after 250 kilometres. As far as we know he died on the spot. The helicopter available for emergencies was not requested by the doctors at the site of the crash,' said rally director Etienne Lavigne.
Caldecott came sixth at the 2005 edition of the Dakar Rally but only got a berth for this edition a week ahead of the December 31 start in Lisbon because Jordi Duran of the KTM team had to withdraw due to injury. Caldecott initially didn't have enough funds to compete.
Caldecott is the 46th driver to die at the rally formerly known as Paris-Dakar. Last year KTM riders Juan Manuel Perez of Spain and Fabrizio Meoni of Italy, the bike champion from 2001 and 2002, died at the rally.
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