Woman biker out of Dakar rally

Patsy Quick had completed the first eight stages of the race

The only British female motorcyclist taking part in the Paris to Dakar rally has pulled out of the endurance race.

Patsy Quick, 37, who owns an antiques shop in Heathfield, East Sussex, was in 101st place after the first eight stages.

But she withdrew before the start of stage nine in Tidjikja, Mauritania, after heavy rain made the terrain hard to cope with.

It is the second year running Mrs Quick has had to pull out of the cross-Sahara race.

Last year, when she became the first woman to compete, a near-fatal crash stopped her completing the 10,000 kilometre course.

She's obviously very tearful and just numbed at the moment, I think Husband Clive Dredge

She had to be flown by helicopter to an Egyptian military hospital for life-saving surgery to remove her spleen.

Her departure from the race this year may have been less dramatic, but it will have been just as disappointing for Mrs Quick, who had stated when the race began on 1 January how determined she was to complete the 18-day event.

Her husband Clive Dredge, who was with her in a support role as the race progressed through France, Spain and Morocco into Mauritania, told the BBC the weather had hampered his wife.

'Very tearful'

Speaking from Africa, where he was continuing to provide support for competitors still in the race, he explained heavy rain had turned normally fine sand into barely navigable mud her bike found it hard to cope with.

Mr Dredge said: "I've spoken to her, she got through to me and she's as flat as can be.

"She's obviously very tearful and just numbed at the moment, I think."

By the time Mrs Quick withdrew from the race she was in 101st place, her highest standing of the event, with about 90 other riders also having pulled out - almost half the field.

Riding for Team Desert Rose, Mrs Quick is already a British and European Enduro motorcycling champion.

The Paris-Dakar rally, considered one of the world's most gruelling endurance races, crosses the Sahara desert and passes through France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Mali, before finishing in Senegal.