The current Dakar champion ended today’s stage in the second position after getting to the finish 5m59s after Nacho Cornejo. The Husqvarna rider confessed to have made ‘a few mistakes’.
Luciano, the younger of the Benavides brothers riding the Dakar, spoke of the round that ended in Al Duwadimi: ‘It was a good day, better than yesterday, faster, with fewer stones and a bit of sand. I felt more comfortable. We knew this was going to be a tough Dakar, but I feel fine’.
Navigation was a bit complicated and led the rider to make some wrong decisions: ‘The navigation was tricky because we had to make up our minds fast while riding at high speeds. I made a few mistakes and spent the whole day in the dust, but nothing serious’.
In the general rankings, Benavides is fifth.