Thierry Sabine | |
|---|---|
 Sabine during the1986 Paris-Alger-Dakar rally, on 4 January. | |
| Born | (1949-06-13)13 June 1949 Neuilly-sur-Seine,Hauts-de-Seine, France |
| Died | 14 January 1986(1986-01-14) (aged 36) Mali |
| Nationality |  French |
Thierry Sabine (13 June 1949,Neuilly-sur-Seine – 14 January 1986,Mali) was a French wrangler,motorcycle racer and founder and main organizer of theDakar Rally.
In 1977 Sabine got lost on the Tchigai Plateau, near the isolated mountain of Emi Fezzan during theAbidjan-Nice Race, and realized that the desert would be a good location for a rally where amateurs could test their ability. In December 1977 he established a race fromParis toDakar and devoted the rest of his life to its organization. His motto for the Dakar Rally was,"A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind."[1]
Sabine was noted for the care he took over the competitors, which was exemplified during the1983 running of the event. That year, the route crossed the as-yet-unexploredTénéré region of the Sahara and 40 competitors became lost when a sandstorm struck. He spent four days flying over the region and was able to direct all lost competitors toward the correct route. Nicole Maitrot, a competitor the previous year, said of him:
"One has the impression that Thierry Sabine is God looking over his sheep from up in his helicopter, coming down in a swirl of airplane to help those who are lost."[1]
Sabine was killed when hisEcureuil helicopter crashed into a dune at Mali during a sudden sandstorm at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 14 January 1986. Also killed onboard was the singer-songwriterDaniel Balavoine, helicopter pilot François-Xavier Bagnoud, journalist Nathalie Odent and Jean-Paul Lefur who was a radiophonic engineer forRTL.[2] Sabine's ashes were later scattered at theLost Tree inNiger, which the rally thereafter described as the "Arbre Thierry Sabine".[3]
He was featured in the movieA Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later released in 1986.
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | P. Dagoreau (private entrant) | Philippe Dagoreau Jean-Pierre Aeschlimann | Porsche 911 Carrera RS | GT | 285 | 17th | 3rd |
| 1976 | ASA Cachia | Philippe DagoreauJean-Claude Andruet | Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Gr.5 SP | 288 | 13th | 6th |
| 1977 | L. Meznarie (private entrant) | Jean Bélin | Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Gr.5 SP | – | DNQ | |
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Pos. | Class Pos. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Ford-France | Frédéric Bonnard | Ford Capri 2600 | T3.0 | DNF | ||
| 1972 | T. Sabine (private entrant) | "Bedin" | Porsche 911 S | Gr.3 +2.0 | DNF | ||
| 1973 | Jean Delannoy | Porsche 911 Carrera RS | Gr.3 | 4th | 2nd | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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