Dakar 2023: the confessions of the Benavides in the “Empty Quarter”, the most inhospitable place on the planet

it’s impressive. Miles and miles in a sea of ​​sand, where the references are diluted and the landscape, although inviting to think that it melts into monotony, is permanently modified. And this one dune is not the same as another. And the play of natural light and shadow fascinates despite the fact that only pure sand can be seen. The “Empty Quarter” is the most inhospitable place on the planet. The desert that includes Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, which is a few kilometers from the bivouac Dakarwhere a camp was set up for the contestants night Marathon stage.

What is it about? It is the day in which the pilots, instead of arriving at the traditional bivouac which is permanently moved for the entire duration of the competition, arrive in a small field set up exclusively for the competitors, the sports authorities, logistics and the media.

The racers arrive with their vehicles, in all categories, and have 30 minutes (GP racers, the rest, up to an hour) to leave their cars inside the parc fermé (a place enclosed by fences), where they get them ready for the stage the next day. Any problem or anomaly that the vehicle presents, only the driver (or the crew) can deal with it.

The teams remained at the Shaybah field, awaiting the arrival of the riders, who will arrive at the end of the following day’s stage, Friday afternoon.

After setting up the cars, the pilots settled into some Bedouin tents. Classic large tents, with carpets in the center of the arena, where you lie down on large cushions and rest your muscles after the tiring stage.

There is also a dining room, almost moving, where the pilots are served, although the pros and best have their own menus, which the organization has moved into their stuff. A lorry brought the tents, sleeping bags and other personal belongings of each of the riders to the small camp, which they themselves took it upon themselves to ship to the Shaybah bivouac, before setting off for the eleventh stage.

Lying on the cushions and carpet, barefoot, shorts and T-shirt, Luciano Benavides struggled with his cell phone to find the tiny signal that could be picked up. Moment of relaxation, to lower tensions, and to concentrate on what remains of the Dakar, until Sunday in Damman, on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

At the center of a suggestive scenario, where the wind is constant and the curtains act as an inevitable protection, Luciano, lying on a Saudi carpet, confessed to Clarín: “I worked a lot on the mental part. The psychological part has changed. When facing adversity, it’s important to keep your head focused. In fact, every day I talk to my sports psychologist for about 10 minutes. Sometimes I talk more to him than to my family, but he helps me a lot.”

The youngest of the Benavides brothers, a Husqvarna rider, he took three stage victories. Until last week he had never won the Dakar: “It’s amazing how loose I feel now racing every stage. Before, I was thinking about times and results. And now I’m going out to have fun ”, highlighted the Saltanese.

His brother, Kevin (KTM), finished 10th in the stage, and is now third in the general standings, At 2m44 from the leader again Skyler Howes (Husqvarna), followed by Toby Price (KTM). “Now it will be pure strategy. Who opens the track, who chases from behind. You have to give everything in these three days that remain,” Kevin highlighted.

A different evening for everyone. Stars cover a landscape that has only appeared in stories. And the Dakar can be relived in situ, in the midst of the most extreme competition in the world. The tense calm of the desert night, to continue with the tremendous action generated by the particular test.

Manu Andújar left

Lobos’ rider Manu Andujar, capable of winning the Dakar two years ago in Saudi Arabia, was abandoned in the quads in the 11th stage, due to problems with his vehicle.

Andujar traveled the “Marathon stage”directed to “Empty Quarter”, which lacks assistance from the teams, when it stopped at kilometer 70 of the special. The organization reported that the Buenos Aires rider was able to ride his quad again, but returned to Shaybah.

“We passed by and I saw Andujar, who waved at me as if it was all over,” agreed Pablo Copetti and Alejandro Fantoni, riders in the same category. In discipline, French Alexander Giraud he remains ahead of the general classification, with an advantage of over an hour over Francisco Moreno and Copetti.

in cars, Sebastien Loeb took his fifth Dakar 2023 victory and fourth in a row with the Bahrain Prototypeeven if he is far away in the general standings, more than 4 hours behind the leader, the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota).

The best Argentinian is Mendoza Juan Cruz Yacopini (Toyota) marching tenth, followed by its co-province Sebastian Halpern (Mini), which is 12th.

In light cars, Jeremias González Ferioli He moved up to fourth place overall in his category, Juan Manuel Silva del Chaco, of the Puma Energy Rally Team, is 16th, and Nicolás Cavigliasso appears in 26th place. Patagonian David Zille is also advancing.

Friday’s stage will close out what is known as the ‘Marathon’, heading to the Shaybah field where the teams are waiting for their riders. The total kilometers will be 375, of which 195 will correspond to a special stage. Dakar 2023 will end on Sunday, in Damman, on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

Empty Quarter Desert, Saudi Arabia. Special for Clarion.