Enduro and Dakar champion and legend Hubert Auriol has died
Hubert Auriol, the first person to win the Dakar Rally on two and four wheels has died after contracting Coronavirus
THE French enduro and Dakar legend, Hubert Auriol has died at the age of 68. Auriol is reported to have been ill for some time, although it seems that he contracted Coronavirus recently and has since passed away.
Auriol was a legend of the Dakar, racing both on two and four wheels. He even became the first person to win the iconic desert rally first on a motorcycle, in 1981, and then in a car in 1992.
The feat has since been replicated, by Peterhansel and Nani Roma more recently, but Auriol will nonetheless remain the firs that completed the double.
Dakar organisers confirmed the news on Sunday, paying tribute to a man that was "a guiding light throughout the history of the rally."
"He inspired generations of riders and drivers and has been an integral part of the rally throughout its history," read the statement from organizers. They later shared the video you can see below on their social media as a tribute to the man.
Visordown and its staff send their condolences to his family, friends, and team-mates.