Kevin Benavides, the Argentine who tamed the Dakar again: “I gave everything, it was serum or champagne”

It’s one of those epics that Argentine sport should keep as the maximum expression of national representation. In this discipline they are the best and everyone wants to win such an extreme competition how complex and extraordinary. The Dakar it is unique for every feature that sets it apart from the rest. And there, there is a driver who is above a group of competitors as large as ever in history.

And up there is Kevin Benavides, the pilot from Salta, who at the age of 34 became the winner of the Dakar for the second time. Two years ago, on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, the Argentine became the first Latin American to win motion, the queen category of the discipline.

This time, across the country on the Persian Gulf, Benavides crowned himself once again the best. That time with Honda, now it returns the victory to the emblematic KTM structure.

If winning a Dakar is already epic, achieving it in a breathtaking melee exceeds all expectations. Benavides started the day, which began at 6:15 am, leaving the cold and rainy field of Al Hofuf, 12 seconds behind the leader up to that moment, the Australian Toby Price, KTM teammate.

Two specialists who have defined nothing more or less than a Dakar, having covered 8,100 kilometers since December 31, with more than 43 timed hours.

“I went out with everything. I knew I had to play against myself to win. And I gave everything. It was serum or champagne. There were no half measures. And so I tackled the stage, which was very complicated because there was a lot of mud, the result of the rains of the last few days. But I knew I had to go full throttle,” he said clarion at the end of the 14th special of the competition.

There was the sentence. And there Luciano Benavides, Kevin’s younger brother, arrived first, who as soon as he crossed the finish line with the Husqvarna got off the bike to follow the performance of the contenders for glory.

As the start was reversed this time, the leaders came from behind. And the organization knew every step of the two candidates. Andn the first stretch, the Argentine had already served the 12 seconds behind the Australian. And then everything went in favor of Benavides, who in the end overtook him by just 43 seconds. “When I finished the stage on Saturday, I had thought about the connection, how I should face Sunday and what possibilities I had. But I talked to my psychologist a lot and my mind went blank.. I went out to push, I couldn’t control the other riders. I had to do what I know how to do: drive,” explained the man from Salta.

“I’m touching the sky with my hands. Two years ago I won with Honda, and that’s why I switched to KTM, because I wanted to win with another brand. This motivated me to make the change. And I did. It is an immense joy, that surely as the days go by I will fall into what this victory means ”, she highlighted.

“On Saturday I started from fourth position. Then I found Matthias Walkner injured. I helped him. That put me out of the race, until the organization took over. And I had to refocus on getting out to do my times. At the end of the day I realized the possibilities were there, I just had to go out and do it,” she explained.

Of course, I couldn’t stop celebrating. The international cameras, the photos, the team’s requests, everything happened there, in the middle of nowhere where the organization set the finish line for the last stage of the Dakar 2023.”Only 43 seconds separate victory from second place. I think it’s something unique in the history of the Dakar, which is the toughest competition in the world. It was a good race because I won two stages, I did it with KTM, the brand with which I won something for the first time. My brother Luciano won in three stages,” added Benavides.

After a while Norberto, the father of the Benavides brothers, appeared. He was thrilled to find them there, hugged them tight. You followed the race from a car and tried to get close to the places where the race was taking place. “I was trying to track her through apps, but it was very difficult. Here I found out that Kevin won,” she commented.

“I did a great job to arrive firmly at this Dakar. Physically I was in impeccable condition, with no injuries or blows. And with the team, I think we have reached the ideal state, since we have reached the evolution of the bike”, highlighted the rider from Salta, who achieved glory after 44 hours, 27 minutes and 20 seconds.

Kevin’s training in his native Salta comes from Enduro. There he distinguished himself at the provincial and national level and continued his international career. But in 2015, excited by the passage of the Dakar in his region, he consulted on navigation and gradually entered this world, first participating in the Desafío Ruta 40 (this year that race will be part of the Cross Country World Championship), up to when, surprise at the Dakar.

Similarly, Benavides has restored glory to KTM, the Austrian brand that dominated the motorcycle discipline in the Dakar for decades. In fact, since 2000, he has won 20 editions, between that year and 2019. And now he has resumed his triumphant journey with the man from Salta.

The winners of the Argentine Dakar

The Argentine successes in the Dakar went hand in hand with the visit of the mythical competition to South America. In Argentina, the Patronelli brothers paved the way for quads, a category that produced national awards, until the appearance of Kevin Benavides.

In the light vehicle category, the list of Argentines who once conquered the most extreme automotive competition on the planet adds a new pearl with this second crown from Benavides.

The list was opened by Marcos Patronelli (quad champion 2010, 2013 and 2016), Alejandro Patronelli (quad champion 2011 and 2012), Nicolás Cavigliasso (quad champion 2019) and Manuel Andújar (quad champion 2021).

Kevin Benavides, in 2021, was the first Latin American rider to win in the motorcycle category, the most demanding of the Dakar.

Dammann, Saudi Arabia. Special for Clarion.