Eric Palante

Eric Palante
Nationality	Belgian
Born	(1963-01-21)January 21, 1963 Vaux-sous-Chèvremont, Liège, Belgium
Died	January 9, 2014(2014-01-09) (aged 50) near Chilecito, La Rioja Province, Argentina

Eric Palante (21 January 1963 – 9 January 2014) was a Belgian motorcycle rally raid competitor best known for his multiple entries in the Dakar Rally. He took part in the event eleven times, competing most recently in 2014 as a privateer on a Honda CRF450X in the no-assistance "malle-moto" (now Original by Motul) category; his best overall Dakar finish was 66th, in 2012. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Palante died during the 2014 event on Stage 5, between Chilecito and San Miguel de Tucumán in Argentina. Organisers reported that no distress alert had been received, and a subsequent autopsy in Argentina found he died of intense hyperthermia. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Early life and career

Palante was born in the Liège suburb of Vaux-sous-Chèvremont. ^[7] Based later in Jeneffe, he trained as a secondary-school teacher before founding an industrial cleaning/facility services business in the Liège. ^[8]

Rally raid and Dakar career

Palante first contested the Dakar Rally in the early 2000s and returned regularly as a privateer. By 2014 he was taking part for the eleventh time; organisers described him as an experienced entrant who “knew the race very well”. ^[9] Competing without a support crew in the malle-moto classification, his stated goal in 2014 was to win that category. ^[10] His best overall finish came in 2012, when he placed 66th among the motorcycle competitors. ^{[11] [12]}

Personal life

Palante was married and the father of five children. Outside competition he ran a facilities/industrial cleaning company in the Liège region. ^[13]

Legacy

Tributes were paid in Belgium following his death. A public ceremony was held in Liège and his home commune of Donceel observed a minute’s silence at the 30 January 2014 council meeting. ^{[14] [15]}

References

1. Peltz, Jim (10 January 2014). "Belgian motorcycle rider Eric Palante found dead at Dakar Rally". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
2. Chung, Dennis (10 January 2014). "Dakar Racer Eric Palante Found Dead". Motorcycle.com. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
3. Caradisiac.com (16 January 2012). "Dakar 2012 : Les classements moto et quad". Caradisiac.com (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
4. "3 deaths overshadow action at Dakar Rally". ESPN.com. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
5. "Le Belge Eric Palante perd la vie sur le Dakar - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
6. "'Eric Palante a succombé suite à une hyperthermie intense' - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
7. "Palante : La commune de Donceel anéantie - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
8. "Palante : La commune de Donceel anéantie - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
9. Peltz, Jim (10 January 2014). "Belgian motorcycle rider Eric Palante found dead at Dakar Rally". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
10. "Le Belge Eric Palante perd la vie sur le Dakar - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
11. Chung, Dennis (10 January 2014). "Dakar Racer Eric Palante Found Dead". Motorcycle.com. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
12. Caradisiac.com (16 January 2012). "Dakar 2012 : Les classements moto et quad". Caradisiac.com (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
13. "Palante : La commune de Donceel anéantie - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
14. "Cérémonie d'hommage au motard Eric Palante mercredi à Liège". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
15. "Le corps d'Eric Palante devrait être rapatrié samedi soir - RTBF Actus". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.