KTM 660 Rally ridden by Richard Sainct to victory of the2003 Dakar Rally | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1970-04-14)14 April 1970 Saint-Affrique, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 29 September 2004(2004-09-29) (aged 34) Egypt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Motorsport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Rally raid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World finals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Richard Sainct (14 April 1970 – 29 September 2004) was a Frenchrally raidmotorcycle rider, best known for his three victories onThe Paris-Dakar rally in 1999, 2000 and 2003.[1]
His other notable achievements include winning the Tunisia Rally twice in 1998 and 1999; the Moroccan Rally in 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2002; and thePharaons Rally in 2002. He also won theFIM Rally Raid World Cup in 2002.[2]
He was killed on 29 September 2004 on the fourth stage of thePharaons Rally in Egypt,[3] Sainct fell and was assisted by the Italian teammateFabrizio Meoni, who helped him get up and be honest with his condition. To the Tuscan who helped him, Sainct seemed in a light confusion, but insisted on wanting to leave. He resumed the race, with no apparent problems, and stopped at the assistance expected after 211 km of the race.[2]
After 270 kilometers of stage Sainct was the victim of a second fall and was found on the ground and already devoid of life. The heartbeat seemed absent when the rescuehelicopter intervened with a doctor on board. Probably, in the first fall, Sainct reported some internal injury. TheKTM decided to withdraw all its bikes from the race, but the race director, the former Belgian driverJacky Ickx, decided to continue the race.[2]
Sainct won 15 stages in hisrally raid participations, the complete results are in theDakar Historic Book.[4]
| Year | Bike | Rank | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Kawasaki | Ret. | 0 |
| 1995 | Honda | Ret. | 0 |
| 1996 | KTM LC4 | 6th | 0 |
| 1997 | KTM LC4 | Ret. | 0 |
| 1998 | KTM LC4 | Ret. | 1 |
| 1999 | BMW F650 RR | 1st | 2 |
| 2000 | BMW F650 RR | 1st | 2 |
| 2001 | KTM LC4 660R | Ret. | 2 |
| 2002 | KTM LC4 660R | 3rd | 1 |
| 2003 | KTM LC4 660R | 1st | 5 |
| 2004 | KTM LC4 660R | 2nd | 2 |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Dakar Rally Motorcycle Winner 1999–2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Dakar Rally Motorcycle Winner 2003 | Succeeded by |