STAGE 11 WIN FOR LUCIANO BENAVIDES AT 2023 DAKAR RALLY
HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER TAKES HIS THIRD STAGE VICTORY OF THE EVENT AS TEAMMATE SKYLER HOWES REGAINS THE RACE LEAD
On a hugely successful day 11 in the Saudi desert for Husqvarna Factory Racing, Luciano Benavides has claimed his third stage win of the event and in turn advances to sixth place overall in the event’s provisional overall standings. Leading those standings after an impressive ride to fourth place on today’s stage, Skyler Howes now holds a narrow 28-second lead at the top of the timesheets.
Marking the first half of the event’s marathon stage, deep into the Empty Quarter region, day 11 at Dakar saw riders complete a timed special of 274 kilometres, predominantly made up of a seemingly endless expanse of dunes. Of the two Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates it was Luciano Benavides who mastered the terrain the best, posting the fastest time to kilometre 63 and pushing hard from then on. Taking the stage win by an impressive one minute and 38 seconds also moves Luciano higher in the overall standings to sixth, where he trails rally leader and teammate Skyler Howes by 18 minutes.
Handling the pressure perfectly, Howes set off as the 18th rider into the special and immediately began to make up time on those ahead of him. Swapping the top two positions with his teammate for the first half of the stage, a few minor issues later on cost the American a little time, but he was still able to bring his FR 450 Rally safely back to the bivouac in fourth place. Retaking the overall rally lead and holding a near-30-second advantage over second-placed Toby Price, Howes will have the added benefit of chasing down his nearest rival on Friday’s stage 12.
Luciano Benavides: “It was a really, really nice stage. I enjoyed racing through the dunes and was able to make up good time, too. There was a big variety today, some of the dunes were really big and in between the ground was very hard to judge as well, with lots of softer areas that could catch you out. The navigation was not too difficult today, the challenge came from trying to find the fastest line through the dunes. I did a good job and was able to make up some more time, which is great. I’m leading out again tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
Skyler Howes: “It was a really fast stage today with lots of dunes – lots of big dunes! I found a good rhythm out there and was making good progress. I did get stuck in the soft sand on a couple of dunes and had to turn around to attack those again. There was one waypoint that I had to circle around to get properly as well. The bike is in great condition, which is great for the marathon stage, I just need to stay focused because the times in the standings are really close. I think it’s going to be like this all the way to the finish, which makes it pretty exciting.”
2023 Dakar Rally – Stage 11 Provisional Classification
1. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 2:57:59
2. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 2:59:37
3. Toby Price (KTM) 2:59:55
4. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 3:00:08
5. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 3:00:53
6. Sebastian Buhler (Hero) 3:03:05
2023 Dakar – Provisional Overall Classification [After Stage 11]
1. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 38:47:43
2. Toby Price (KTM) 38:48:11
3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 38:50:27
4. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 39:01:57
5. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 39:03:07
6. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 39:05:49
More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:
THIRD-PLACE RESULT FOR TOBY PRICE ON STAGE 11 AT DAKAR RALLY
Dakar Rally 2023 – Stage 11
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price has completed the first half of the Dakar Rally’s Empty Quarter marathon stage as third fastest. The impressive result moves him back into second place in the overall standings, just 28 seconds down on the leader. Kevin Benavides rode to a solid 10th place today and drops two spots to third in the standings, while Matthias Walkner successfully defended his 10th place overall after his performance through the Saudi dunes.
Leading competitors from Shaybah to the bivouac in the Empty Quarter, today’s stage 11 delivered 274-kilometers of dunes and tracks raced against the clock. With times still tight at the top of the leaderboard, riders had to push hard over the grueling terrain to secure their positions while also being mindful to take extra care of their machines, as no outside assistance is permitted overnight.
After the 153-kilometer liaison this morning, Toby Price was the 19th rider to enter today’s special. The Australian made steady progress through the stage, balancing out-and-out speed with the preservation of himself and his KTM 450 RALLY. Ultimately posting the third-fastest time for the stage, just under two minutes down on the leader, means Toby climbs back up to second overall in the provisional standings and will also have two riders to chase down on tomorrow’s slightly shorter 185-kilometer special on stage 12.
Toby Price: “I think the stage went well for me today, I was able to get a little bit of time back and that puts me in good contention for the podium places still. I’m feeling in good shape and the bike is perfect, so no issues there. Starting back a little bit definitely helped today. I did make a little mistake early on, like a couple of the guys in front I think, but was able to correct it pretty quickly and carry on. I just took it quite steady today – pushed where it was safe to do so and then eased off a bit to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. I’ll be third away for tomorrow, which isn’t too bad, so I’ll keep on fighting and see where we end up.”
In contrast to his teammate Price, Kevin Benavides set off near the front of today’s stage, and with little in the way of tracks ahead of him, the Argentinian had to carefully navigate his way through the dunes of the special. Making good time through the first half of the stage, Benavides fought his way up to fourth, but was then forced to ease his pace after catching the lead group of riders, which he joined on the final kilometers to the finish. In placing 10th, Kevin drops to third overall in the rankings, but trails the leader by less than three minutes.
Kevin Benavides: “Another tough day and the first part of the marathon stage today. I started in fourth position and tried to push straight away. I did a good job, I caught the guys in front after refueling, and from there we rode together for the last 80 kilometers or so. The bike is all ready in the parc fermé and I have a good start position for tomorrow, so it’s just a case of trying to make up time and stay in the fight.”
Enjoying his time in the Saudi desert, Matthias Walkner delivered a strong ride to 13th place, despite a couple of issues along the way. Having lost time through injury in the first week of the event, Matthias feel less under pressure and plans to complete his 2023 Dakar on a high, attacking the remaining stages and securing a solid finish.
Matthias Walkner: “I had a good stage today. It was good fun riding in the Empty Quarter for the second day and it certainly lived up to its name as there was nothing to see for miles around. I made a bit of a mistake early on that cost me some minutes, but then I managed to get stuck in a pocket of soft sand that took a little while to get out of. There is no contrast at all in the desert and you never know when something like this will happen. I pushed hard after refueling to make up time, and that was great fun jumping off the dunes. It really was a beautiful stage. I have a good start position for tomorrow, so I’ll aim for a top-three finish.”
Riders return to their teams at the bivouac in Shaybah tomorrow on day 12 of the rally, covering a total of 376 kilometers, 185 of which are timed special stage.
Provisional Results – 2023 Dakar Rally, Stage 11
1. Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 2:57:59
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), GASGAS, 2:59:37 +1:38
3. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 2:59:55 +1:56
4. Skyler Howes (USA), Husqvarna, 3:00:08 +2:09
5. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 3:00:53 +2:54
Other KTM
10. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:04:21 +6:22
13. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:06:33 +8:34
Provisional Standings – 2023 Dakar Rally (after 11 of 14 stages)
1. Skyler Howes (USA), Husqvarna, 38:47:43
2. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 38:48:11 +0:28
3. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 38:50:27 +2:44
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 39:01:57 +14:14
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 39:03:07 +15:24
Other KTM
9. Mason Klein (USA), KTM, 39:19:18 +31:35
10. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 39:32:28 +44:45
More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory Racing:
SECOND PLACE FOR SANDERS ON LEG ONE OF THE DAKAR RALLY MARATHON STAGE
RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING’S RALLY STAR IMPRESSES WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH ON STAGE 11 AND MOVES UP TO SEVENTH OVERALL
Marathon stage, leg one at the Dakar complete and it was a pretty positive day of racing for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders. As the 12th rider into the 274-kilometer timed special, Sanders benefitted from chasing the leading riders on stage and capitalized on his starting position to post the second-fastest time. In the process, Chucky closed the gap on the overall leaders and now advances to seventh in the provisional standings. With three stages to go, a top-five finish at this year’s event is well within reach.
Chucky posts his third top-three stage result at this year’s Dakar
Leg one of the marathon stage done and dusted
Three more days of racing remain at the 2023 Dakar Rally
Daniel Sanders: “Today wasn’t too bad. It took a little while for me to get up to speed and then at around kilometer 40 there was a tricky note in the roadbook. I slowed up a little to make sure I was heading in the right direction and then pushed on to refueling. After that I rode with Luciano Benavides for the rest of the stage which was good, and it was a good gauge of knowing the speed up front. Second’s decent enough ahead of tomorrow’s shorter stage. I’ve just checked the bike over, all the fluids and everything, and it’s in great shape so I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.”
The marathon stage at the Dakar is always a tough one for riders as they need to strike a fine balance between posting the best time possible on leg one, while making sure their bike remains in good shape for leg two. For Sanders, placing second was clearly a strong result and after giving his bike a quick once over ahead of tomorrow’s stage 11, Chucky, and his awesome RX 450F, are now ready for another day of sand surfing through the Empty Quarter.
Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2023, stage 11
1. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 2:57:59
2. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 2:59:37
3. Toby Price (KTM) 2:59:55
Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 11)
1. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) 38:47:43
2. Toby Price (KTM) 38:48:11
3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 38:50:27
7. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 39:09:23
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Honda Racing:
PLAYING HARD AT THE EMPTY QUARTER
It is the highlight of a week of action in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. The Dakar Rally 2023 finally reached today the immense sea of dunes known as the Empty Quarter. With a special reddish-orange color, this is the largest continuous sand territory in the world – with its 1000 kilometers long and 500 km wide. This was the landscape to the marathon stage of this year’s race (stage 11), starting early this morning from Shaybah and arriving less than three hours later in the heart of this region.
This morning the counter of the Honda’s CRF 450 Rally marked 4,000 kilometers of specials right after the start, with 273 km of the selective section (added by a liaison of 151 km) to complete during the marathon stage. On the arrival our riders were their own in terms of assistance, since they won’t have any mechanics or external help.
Monster Energy Honda Team riders are fighting to evolve in the top standings. Today the best was Pablo Quintanilla, with a fifth place 2:54 minutes off the pace. This performance meant a step up in the overall standings to fourth position. Second was José Ignacio Cornejo, who finished in 14th place 8:13 minutes off the pace (8th overall). Adrien Van Beveren was opening the track and reached the end in 18th place, meaning a 5th place overall.
The second part of the marathon stage will take place tomorrow with the return to Shaybah on stage 12. Along the 185 km of this selective section (added by a liaison of 188 km) there will be a focus on the tactical acumen of the riders. With just three days to go in this Dakar Rally 2023 it is certainly time to attack in every dune!
Ruben Faria
General Manager
“Today we had a very hard stage, the biggest one in the Empty Quarter with the first part of the marathon. We are behind the top 3 but I believe we are still in contention to change that. In the previous days we have been losing and gaining time like it is normal, but we lost too much time in the first six days. We lost Ricky Brabec, a Dakar winner, quite early and that was also a blow to our aspirations. About today’s stage, Adrien was great opening the track – he lost some time but that we already expected like it is normal. Nacho got lost in the middle of the special stage. Pablo also had a good stage but will be in front tomorrow. All riders arrived well and the Honda CRF 450 Rally is also perfect to continue. This is the Dakar Rally and we have to fight and believe until the end of the race!”
Pablo Quintanilla 7
“It was not an easy day, the sand was too soft and sometimes it was hard to climb the dunes. Anyway I was at a good pace and I think I did a good stage. The first part of the marathon stage is done and my Honda CRF 450 Rally is without any damage, so I am ready to continue tomorrow.”
José Ignacio Cornejo 11
“I made some navigation mistakes and lost around eight minutes. I am not happy about that, but that’s what it is. I will stay focused on climbing on the overall standings and keep fighting until the end. This is Dakar and I have to maintain my goal. ”
Adrien Van Beveren 42
“It was a good day, I caught Ross at kilometer 40 then I opened almost all the stage. I feel good and I feel fast on this terrain but when you open you always lose time. For sure I am doing my best every day and every minute and we will see how it goes.”
