Thierry Sabine (13 June 1949, Neuilly-sur-Seine – 14 January 1986, Mali) was a French wrangler, motorcycle racer, and founder and main organizer of Paris Dakar. In 1977 he got lost in the Tenere Desert during the Abidjan-Nice Race and this became the inspiration for the Dakar Rally.
As well as founding the event, Sabine tried out his new creation for himself and competed in Paris-Dakar in 1979, driving a Toyota BJ.[1]
Sabine was killed when his Ecureuil helicopter crashed into a dune at Mali during a sudden sand-storm at 07:30 p.m. on Tuesday 14 January 1986. Also killed onboard was the singer-songwriter Daniel Balavoine, helicopter pilot François-Xavier Bagnoud, journalist Nathalie Odent and Jean-Paul Lefur who was a radiophonic engineer for RTL.