The Dakar is facing an unexpected enemy and Saudi Arabia is now focusing on football

It is unimaginable that in the middle of the desert, where Saudi Arabia has almost all of its desert territory available for the Dakar for the fourth consecutive year, rains and thunderstormsintense among other things, they force you to change your route and camp.

But time rules, and in this crazy climate change, the organization recalculates the rush and lavish logistics to move nearly 3,000 people to the Saudi capital in advance, skipping the Al Duwadimi camp, where the bivouac was to be stationed for two nights.

It was also unimaginable to think so Saudi Arabia has become the center of world football in recent weeks. The victory in the opening match at the World Cup in Qatar against the Argentina national team multiplied his visibility, despite his elimination in the first round.

And in the last few hours, the explosion that caused the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo to the team of to nasr He has fixed the gaze of the football planet at these latitudes, distant both in distance and in culture.

On this Dakarian tour, which kicked off in the last week of December, football is the topic of conversation within the camps. “Lads!”is the greeting of every member of the field to the Argentines.

Of course it’s full of French here. And they express the pain for the final lost against Messi and company and uploads and comments flow incessantly.

But even in small international debates, controversies and accusations, the locals participate. With the utmost respect, they intercede only to remind that in Qatar, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1.

The gestures of the Saudis when they mention the subject arouse reactions that are more tender than sly.

On the sidelines, Saudi is going all out. With Cristiano at the forefront, football intends to motorise the rest of sport. Indeed, for example, motorsport is already well established here. The Dakar landed in 2020 with a 5-year contract and renewal plans. Formula 1 has its GP in the urban circuit of Jeddah, while the project to build a city around a road circuit in Qiddiyah, where there is now only desert, will materialize in a few years.

There are world championships in various motorsport disciplines, and the great aspiration of the nation is to host the Olympic Games. For now, in all shops and on public roads, we remind you that Expo 2030 will be held here.

After the podium of the Dakar, which will be held on January 15 in the city of Dammam, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, the eyes of the football world will continue here, as that week a friendly will be played between Lionel Messi’s PSG against a team called Riyadh Seasonwhich will feature the stars of the Al Hilal and Al Nassr teams, including Cristiano Ronaldo, with the surprising technical leadership of Marcellus Gallardo.

In four years of touring Saudi Arabia from end to end together with the Dakar, a football field has never been seen with the naked eye. Only large stadiums, such as King Abdullah, in Jeddah (Dakar has used that very complex as its epicenter in previous editions), or King Fahd, where Argentina won the King Fahd Cup in 1992.

With national representation for these deserted but rich, militant lands Gonzalo “Sin” Martinez (Al Nasr) e Luciano Vietto (Al Hilal), where he directs Ramon Angel Diaz.

In addition to these teams, they also have David Ospina (Colombian), Álvaro González (Spanish), Luiz Gustavo (Brazilian), Talisca (Brazilian), Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroonian) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portuguese), in Al Nassr; and Matheus Pereira (Brazilian), Gustavo Cuéllar (Colombian), Moussa Marega (Malian), André Carrillo (Peruvian) and Odion Ighalo (Nigerian), in Al Hilal.

The Dakar was welcomed in Saudi Arabia with an event that shook the sporting planet. Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival made an impact in the middle of the Saudi Dakar route. Gradually, the different disciplines begin to share an opulent scene eager to incorporate more attractions that were unlikely until recently.

An atypical day for the Dakar, unforgettable for Luciano Benavídes

The most extreme race on the planet has an enemy who must mistreat them: The rain. Incredibly bad weather hit the Saudi Arabian desert and forced the Dakar to modify the 6th stage, which was supposed to join Ha’il with Al Duwadimi and which, due to the flooding of the field, lengthened the route up to Rial, the capital. . And the organization has already announced that it has suspended the seventh stage for motorcycles and quads.

But since it is said that there is no bad that does not come with good, these last minute changes to save the intense activity of the Dakar in the best possible way, Luciano Benavides from Salta took advantage of itwhich prevailed among the bikes and achieved its first partial victory in this legendary competition.

Luciano is the younger brother of Kevin, who two years ago became the first Latin American rider to win a Dakar here in the premier class.

Highly excited, the 27-year-old arrived at the Husqvarna team service and embraced the team members and his brother, who accompanied him on the link.

“The truth is that I am very mobilized by this result. There is a lot of sacrifice behind all of this and the day has finally come.”Luciano confessed to Clarín as soon as he took off his helmet.

“This Dakar was a bit crooked, there were phases in which I didn’t feel comfortable. And now comes this recognition”highlighted Benavides, who received a slap from Kevin.

“When you win a stage you feel an indescribable satisfaction. I feel like I’ve taught him a lot by being my little brother, and now I’m very proud for him.” highlighted kevinof the KTM team, a corporate group that also integrates his brother’s brand, so they live together in the fields.

“We met on the course, in connection, with Kevin (he was 5th in the stage), and we also saw a rainbow, as a sign of this unique feeling that we experience on this unforgettable day”, Luciano was moved.

In the general classification, Luciano’s partner, Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) leads the standings, while Kevin remains third, 7 minutes behind (behind Toby Price), and Luciano, 9th.

In quadruple, another Argentine triumph, led by Manu Andújar, who won the Dakar here in Saudi Arabia two years ago. Second is the French Alexander Giraud, who remains at ease in the general classification, escorted by Francisco Moreno, at 42’57, and by Pablo Copetti.

in cars, Nasser Al-Attiya of Qatar (Toyota) wins the stage and escapes the general. The coup was the accident suffered by Audi, with the abandonment of Stephane Peterhansel (their navigator injured his back) and Carlos Sainz being late for more than 7 hours, in the same place.

The 7th stage with cars and trucks will take place on Saturday, directed to Al Duwadimi, for a total length of 667 kilometres, of which 333 of special stages. Even if the organization analyzes whether it will be able to carry it out or should also suspend it.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Special delivery.