Fran Gómez Pallas, a 53-year-old Spanish rider, faced a dramatic moment in the Dakar stage, when his handmade electric motorcycle split in half.
+ Click here to watch the video of the fall
The incident occurred in the final kilometers of the penultimate stage of the rally, resulting in injuries to the rider, including a broken rib.
Gómez Pallas, originally from Carballo (Galicia) and born in Venezuela, was participating in his eighth edition of the planet’s most challenging rally. In his previous appearances, he managed to cross the finish line on four occasions.
This year, at the age of 54, he decided to take on the challenge in a special way, competing in the Mission 1.000 category, designated for electric vehicles, with a motorcycle built by himself.
The accident, which appeared severe, fortunately resulted in less severe injuries than expected. The rider was able to get up with the help of other competitors who stopped to assist him.
Despite the physical pain, Gómez Pallas expressed on social media a feeling of disappointment for not being able to complete the last 45 kilometers of the rally and conclude his innovative project.
“We were just 12 kilometers from the end,” the rider explained, “I only have a fissure in one rib, the rest is fine. The greatest pain is not being able to complete the last kilometers to finish the project.”
Gómez Pallas highlighted the achievement of being the first to compete in the Dakar’s new 100% electric category with his P1 bike.
He emphasized the importance of learning from the mistakes of a still-young project and thanked the sponsors who made his participation possible.
“We have gathered a lot of data to improve after this Dakar,” the rider stated, showing determination to continue his innovative work in the world of rallying.
Photos and video: Instagram @frangomez_7dakar