As we reported earlier today, the 5th Stage of the 2014 Dakar started to show both teams and riders how tough this year's edition is. Yamaha's Cyril Despres was left with no fuel, but the day was far worse for HRC, as Paulo Goncalves, one of their top riders was forced to retire.
Goncalves' Honda burst into flames in the middle of the desert and so burned the big hopes of the Portuguese rider.
It looks like bad luck has not left Goncalves, as in 2013, a 15-minute penalty and an electrical problem nullified his chances for a podium battle.
We believe that the rider passing by him is Despres, but don't judge him for not stopping to help: Goncalves' bike was already "dead" and putting the fire out would not have helped him in any way. Could have saved some parts for HRC, at best.
No details on the cause of the fire are known at the moment of writing, but we expect HRC to surface more info soon.
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