Luc Alphand of France maintained the overall lead in the Dakar Rally, winning the 13th stage as the race entered Senegal from Guinea, where one competitor accidently struck and killed a boy who crossed the track.
Alphand finished the stage in four hours, 30 minutes, 15 seconds, with Spain’s Carlos Sainz and South Africa’s Giniel de Villiers trailing.
The boy was crossing the track at the time he was killed by vehicle number 420, driven by Maris Saukans and Dambis Andris. The accident occurred about 25km into the race’s 348km 13th stage, near the village of Kourahoye.
The boy had come to watch the race Friday with his family, organisers said.
”He immediately received treatment from the medical staff of the rally but died during his transfer by helicopter to Labe,” the statement said. ”The organisation wished to express its sincere condolences to the family of the child.”
In the motorcycle race, Italy’s Giovanni Sala won the stage in 5:03:49. Sala ranks third overall, 1:40:40 behind leader Marc Coma of Spain, who is at 52:09:45 overall.
The course of the Dakar Rally changes slightly each year. The 2006 race is a 9 043km route from Lisbon, Portugal. More than 1 400 people are competing in cars, trucks, ATVs and motorcycles.
The race finishes on Sunday in Senegal’s capital, Dakar. – Sapa-AP