The pilot Kevin Benavides, from Salta, aboard his KTM motorcycle from the Red Bull team, became champion this Sunday in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia for the second time, after winning the 14th and final stage of 417 kilometers (136 of special) between Al-Hofuf and Dammam.
The Argentinian He came back from a 12-second deficit on his teammate, the Australian Toby Price in the final daywhich he beat by 43 seconds in the general classification.
“A greeting to Leo Messi and to the entire Argentine team. I think his victory had a lot to do with it, I felt very motivated for what the National Team did, for the challenge of fighting for my flag. Luckily I was able to win in Saudi Arabia and leave Argentina at the top of motorcycling worldwide,” declared the new champion.
Benavides, 34, finished the competition with an accumulated time of 44 hours, 27 minutes and 20 seconds after traveling more than 8,000 kilometers over the Saudi desert since the engines were started on December 31st.
The man from Salta always remained on the podium of the general classification throughout the Rally despite not win any of the first 12 stages Y by then he was third, 2m40s behind Price. But Benavides accelerated in the last two quarters, staying both and thus, the title. Their positions in each stage were: 2nd, 8th, 4th, 7th, 8th, 5th, 5th, 10th, 7th, 4th, 10th, 5th, 1st and 1st.
“I talked a lot with my psychologist and I put my mind blankwithout thinking so much about the possibilities and knowing that it could be first, second or third. Ultimately I had to do my job, which is to drive as best as possible. Luckily it happened, I got it. I touched the sky with my hands again, “he said about the definition.
Kevin was already the only South American rider in history to win the Dakar on two wheels and now he repeated the feat that he had achieved in 2021 on top of that with another brand, since that time he established himself with Honda.
“I am a pilot who always likes to go for more, to write history and I think that today I wrote my name down in history again. On January 15, 2023 as it had happened on January 15, 2021. I chose to believe and here we are,” Benavides celebrated.
The motorcycle podium of the 45th edition of the most extreme rally in the world was completed by Price with a difference of +00m43s and the American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna Factory Racing), who led the table for seven roundswith +05m04s.
Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing), Kevin’s younger brother, matched his best ever performance with a sixth-place finishas in 2020, in addition to winning three stages (6, 9 and 11).
Franco Caimi (Hero Motorsport) from Mendoza closed the top 10 of the general classification and his brother Stefano (Bas World KTM), rookie in the rally, was able to meet the objective of completing the test in the 25th step.