“I am proudly going with the number 1 to the Dakar”

Argentina's Luciano Benavides (28), the recently crowned World Rally Raid Champion, will arrive at the Dakar proudly carrying the #1 plate on his Husqvarna. His goal is to win the toughest race in the world, in which his brother Kevin will defend his 2023 triumph. Luciano has just finished his title-winning year with a runner-up result in the Morocco Rally behind Toby Price, who, in spite of his victory, was beaten by the rider from Salta by only four points in the classification. The youngest Benavides began the year with a P6 in the Dakar, tying his best result of 2020, after being the fastest in the second week, with three stage wins and celebrating Kevin's second Touareg Trophy. That performance - he says - gave him the mental toughness and confidence that proved pivotal in winning the title. Abu Dhabi and the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina were the high notes of the season, in which he mastered navigation in the dunes and rode with intelligence. The new world champion got to know the Dakar when, at the age of 13, he went to watch the caravan pass through Fiambalá in northern Argentina, never imagining that a decade later, he would be on the start line. His debut on the 2018 Dakar ended in retirement after a heavy fall on the Salta-Belen stage when he was 15th in the general classification. He finished ninth in the 2019 Dakar in Peru. He scored an outstanding 6th place and was the highest placed in the 2020 Dakar in Saudi Arabia. He had just transferred from the KTM team to Husqvarna for the 2021 Dakar. A crash on stage 9, while 10th overall, severely injured his shoulder and led to his subsequent retirement. Kevin's victory turned that disappointment into a massive family joy. Luciano is preparing for his seventh Dakar in the best moment of his racing career. With no time for vacations, in the last two months, he made a brief appearance at the Six Days in Argentina, trained with his brother in Catamarca, celebrated his title with his team in Austria, flew to Liverpool for the FIM dinner and did two weeks of testing with his team in the United States. With the crown firmly on his head, Luciano says he is going to the Dakar to win: "I know I can do it. My brother won it twice, and as a world champion, I know it's possible, and I will fight for it".

L.B.: “The last Dakar was much better than 2020, when I finished P6 as well. I was the fastest in the second week, and it was a great race for me as I was able to build my mental strength and confidence. Also, seeing Kevin win meant that we were both doing very well. In Abu Dhabi, I won two stages and had to open the stage on the last day. It boosted my confidence in Morocco, which was tremendously important. In Argentina, I feel that I could win the World Championship. I was nervous, and there was a lot of pressure. Kevin was injured, and I was then the Argentinean hope on the bike. I was alone at Husqvarna as well. I controlled the race with my head. I won the Fiambala stage, which was a unique moment. In Morocco, I used what I learned from all these races, and the last two days were crazy because of everything I had to do to win".
"At the Dakar, I arrive as a brand new champion, and it's the first time that a rider who hasn't won the race will carry the #1 plate in the Dakar. (Sam) Sunderland won it and rode the #1. Now it's my turn. Kevin is going to defend the title, and I'm going to ride with the #1. I am taking the same approach, and the preparation will be the same. Hopefully, there will be many dunes, my favourite terrain, where I know I can make a difference. The Husqvarna has several strong points: engine, chassis, and suspension. We have improved things that are hidden, like mapping and traction control. We will have a powerful bike to compete with the other makes.”