More tragic news coming from Dakar as reports confirm Dutch rider, Edwin Straver, has died as a result of injuries suffered in a crash during the penultimate stage of the rally. Straver, 48, becomes the second rider to pass away in this year’s Dakar following the fatal crash of rider Paulo Goncalvez in stage 7.

Straver’s tragic fall happened 124 km into stage 11 last week. The medical team immediately dispatched by helicopter found Edwin in cardiac arrest and proceeded with resuscitation efforts. According to reports, Straver broke one of his upper neck vertebrae during the fall and had no heartbeat for 10 minutes before being resuscitated. He was then airlifted in critical condition to the hospital in Riyadh where he was admitted to the intensive care unit before being later repatriated back to the Netherlands. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries this morning.

The former motocross rider was taking part in his third Dakar, racing in the ‘Original by Motul’ category in which competitors don’t receive any mechanical assistance. He participated for the first time in 2018 at age 45 and won the Original by Motul class in 2019, finishing 30th overall. This year, he was running in 4th position in the general ranking for the Original by Motul category before his fatal fall.

Straver had expressed how much Goncalves’ death had affected him, making his riding more cautious and “taking it easy on dangerous points”. “I brake for everything. If I can’t see it, I really won’t get over it,” he added.

ADV Pulse would like to extend its sincere condolences to Straver’s friends and family.