Paulo Gonçalves (motorcyclist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paulo Gonçalves |
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Gonçalves in an interview for the 2016 Dakar Rally
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| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Born | 5 February 1979 Gemeses, Portugal |
| Died | 12 January 2020 (aged 40) Layla, Saudi Arabia |
| Teams | Hero |
| Championships | FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship |
| Wins | 2013 |
Paulo Gonçalves (born February 5, 1979 – died January 12, 2020) was a famous motorcycle racer from Portugal. He was known for his skills in rally racing. In 2013, he became a world champion by winning the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
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Early Life and Hometown
Paulo Gonçalves was born on February 5, 1979. His hometown was Gemeses, a small area in the city of Esposende, Portugal. This city is located in the Braga District.
Amazing Rally Biking Career
Paulo Gonçalves was a very successful motorcycle racer. He won a total of 23 titles in different types of motorcycle racing. These included motocross, supercross, and enduro.
His biggest achievement was winning the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship in 2013. The next year, in 2014, he almost won again, finishing as the runner-up.
Competing in the Dakar Rally
Gonçalves started racing in the tough Dakar Rally in 2006. He took part in this famous race thirteen times. He raced across different continents, including Africa, South America, and Asia. During his Dakar Rally career, he won three individual stages. He often finished among the top ten racers. In 2015, he achieved his best result in the Dakar Rally, finishing second overall. Only Marc Coma, another great racer, was ahead of him that year.
Teams Paulo Raced For
Paulo raced for several well-known teams during his career.
- From 2006 to 2009, and again from 2013 to 2019, he raced for the Honda team in the Dakar Rally.
- In 2020, he joined the Hero MotoCorp team.
- Between 2010 and 2012, he was part of the Husqvarna Motorcycles team, which is owned by BMW.
- He also raced for the KTM team at some point in his career.
During the 2020 Dakar Rally, Paulo faced a challenge when his motorcycle's engine stopped in the third stage. It was first announced that he would have to leave the race. However, about three hours later, this was corrected. Paulo was trying to fix his bike while waiting for his team to arrive and help him. Because he loved racing at very high speeds, people gave him the nickname "Speedy." This was a fun reference to the fast cartoon character Speedy Gonzales from Looney Tunes.
His Passing and Tributes
Sadly, Paulo Gonçalves had an accident during the seventh stage of the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. The accident happened 276 kilometers into the stage. He was found unconscious and received immediate help. He was then flown by helicopter to a hospital in Layla, where he passed away. He was less than a month away from his 41st birthday.
After his death, his hometown of Esposende shared a message of sadness. They spoke highly of his racing career and called him an ambassador for Esposende around the world. The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, also expressed his sorrow. He said that Paulo Gonçalves "died trying to achieve the dream of winning one of the hardest and most dangerous rally events in the world." The President also noted that Paulo was always a great representative of Portugal, especially when he finished second in 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Paulo Gonçalves para niños
