THE SIDELINES : Slaying Halts Paris-Dakar Rally
The Paris-Dakar Rally was stopped during today’s stage after the driver of a support truck died of gunshot wounds in a village controlled by the Malian army, race organizers reported.
Charles Cabannes, 34, of France, who drove a support truck for the Citroen team that is leading the event, was shot in the village of Kadaouane, Mali, organizers said.
Details of the shooting were not available, but organizers said it appeared that several trucks had been blocked near the village before the shooting occurred.
Rally organizers had expressed fears about crossing the region because of fighting between Tuaregs, nomads who roam the Sahara, and government troops in northern Mali. A peace agreement was reached five days ago.
Earlier in the stage, Jacky Ickx of Belgium and Bruno Waldegard of Sweden, both in the top five of the overall standings, dropped out of the rally after their Citroen cars caught fire, organizers said.
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