“We are going to bring the trophy home”
RIDER FACTS
- Argentinean Luciano Benavides (29) has just finished in Morocco, 'a challenging year of change and transition'. The 2023 World Champion couldn't defend his title due to Husqvarna's decision not to compete in the W2RC, so the rider from Salta had a season with little competition.
- Looking back over his successful racing career, Luciano first discovered the Dakar at 13 when he went to see the caravan pass through Fiambalá in northern Argentina. He never imagined that he would be on the start line a decade later. His debut on the 2018 Dakar ended in retirement after a heavy fall on the Salta-Belen stage. In the 2019 Peruvian Dakar, he finished ninth; in 2020, in Saudi Arabia, he finished an outstanding sixth place, being the top Argentinean in the rally. In 2021, he fell on stage 9, severely injuring his shoulder, and consequently, he retired from the race. His brother Kevin's victory turned that disappointment into colossal family joy.
- 2023 was his best year, with sixth place on the Dakar with three stage victories and a brilliant finish in Morocco, where he won the World Championship, beating Toby Price by four points.
- Back to the present day, the younger Benavides began 2024 with seventh on the Dakar, a place that wasn't satisfying in a race complicated by a broken engine on stage six. Months later, in June, he competed in the Desafío Ruta 40, a few days after his brother Kevin's serious accident. Affected by that, he crashed in a high-speed sector and broke his hip. He was transferred to room 614 of the same clinic where Kevin was recovering from his injuries in room 612...
- The 2024 Morocco Rally allowed Luciano to return to competition after his injury, on his debut for KTM and on a new bike. He admits that he did his best, but despite finishing on the podium, he still wasn't at his best.
AMBITION 2025
L.B.: “The 2024 Dakar was complicated by an engine failure. I didn't feel comfortable on the bike because of some changes and suffered physically. After the breakage, I was penalised and had to start at the front of those sandy stages, so I had no chance of winning the stages where I felt strong enough to fight. It was a strange Dakar with a seventh place that did not mean much because I had gone with the number 1, and the expectations were very high.”
“It was a transition year. My motivation is always there because after you finish the Dakar you, start preparing for the next one, knowing that the difference to reaching a high level is in the details. In preparation for the Desafío Ruta 40, Kevin's accident happened in May. It was a huge shock because I was with him in that training session in Salta. He was in a very, very serious condition for many days. It was very hard and I didn't get there in the best shape, but it was a race that I wanted to run. I crashed on day 1 on a very slippery track, nothing serious, but I was going at high speed, and I broke my hip the same day that Kevin was having surgery.”
“It's very nice to be back at KTM. I left as Junior World Champion in 2019 and returned as World Champion in the senior category. There were several departures from the team, and the brands were merged, so the team was formed with Kevin and (Daniel) Sanders. To be in the same team for the first time with Kevin is great for all our fans.”
“Morocco was a good base, but I'm still not at the level I want to be. We need to improve the bike setup. Now that Kevin is recovering, he will be able to test it too and get a good setup. I will arrive at the Dakar 100% fit and must improve my concentration and mental preparation. The goal is to do my best and bring the trophy home. If one of us wins it, it would be incredible.
