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.

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