It’s been almost a year since Kevin Benavides celebrated his first overall win at the Dakar Rally. In a few weeks, he faces the challenge again in Saudi Arabia, defending his 2023 title after a rather complicated season.
The Red Bull KTM Argentine rider faced two challenging injuries and admitted in a statement that he hasn’t achieved the ideal competitive rhythm despite recovery efforts and preparation: ‘The Dakar means everything to me. This year was special because I won with KTM, and I had the honor of fighting right to the end with my teammate. The rest of this year has been really tough. I was full of confidence after my Dakar win, but then breaking my femur early in the season, followed by my wrist later on, meant I didn’t get much race time on the bike at all. Behind the scenes, I was training as hard as I could to rebuild my fitness and mental strength, but it’s been a difficult year, for sure’.
Benavides aims to be in contention for the win until the end of the Dakar: ‘Now, heading into a new year and a new Dakar, I really want to put 2023 behind me and fight for the win once again. I know I have what it takes, we just need to get through it without any setbacks and I should be well in the fight at the end of the race. We’re just a few weeks away from the start and I can’t wait to get going’.
