South Africa's motorcyclist Elmer Symons takes a curve on his KTM during the first special stage of the Lisbon Dakar rally in Grandola Southern Portugal January 6, 2007. Symons has been killed in a crash on the fourth day of the Dakar Rally in Morocco, organisers said on Tuesday. Picture taken Jan. 6, 2007.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    PARIS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Elmer Symons, a South African motorcycle rider, died in a crash on the fourth day of the Dakar Rally in Morocco, organisers said on Tuesday.

    Symons, a 29-year-old who ran a company that exported metal parts from the United States to South Africa, was taking part in his first Dakar as a competitor.

    "Today at 9.16, the race headquarters received an intrackalert coming from km 142 of the fourth stage from Er Rachidia to Ouarzazate," organisers said.

    "On the site of the crash by helicopter eight minutes later, the race direction could only record the death, confirmed 10minutes later by the medical helicopter," they added.

    Symons had been 18th overall in the event, considered one of the most challenging and dangerous in the world of motorsport, which ends in the Senegalese capital on Jan 21.

    Organisers said Symons had been assisted in the rally by his brother Kingsley.