Co-driver to Bruno Capendeguy in the 1.6-litre Renault Clio RS bearing the race number #80 in the 16th Rallye du Pays Basque, Maurice Robidart was killed when their car crashed in the sixth and final stage of the first of the two-day event.
The stage between Hélette to Saint-Esteben in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, nearly the French-Spanish border, was held at around 22h00 on Saturday night, 01 September 2007. Near the end of the stage, the car failed to negotiate a corner and went straight into a tree. Capendeguy from Bayonne, suffered a broken arm and was hospitalized; Mauride Robidart was killed upon impact.
This was reported to be the first fatality in the 16 editions of the Rallye du Pays Basque. The rally was immediately suspended after the tragedy and the remainder of the next day's special stages were canceled. André Jézéquel-Laurent Clausell, who were in the lead in a Peugeot 306 Maxi, were declared winners of the rally. Maurice Robidart, 50-year-old from Anglet in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, south-western France, was an experienced competitor. He had also raced occasionally as a rally driver, accompanied by his daughter Lucie Robidart as navigator.
R.I.P
