When it is said that no one is a prophet in his own land, it is enough to observe what sport generates to ban that phrase. The public manifests itself in front of the successes that its representatives achieve in major events. “A month ago we were here celebrating the World Cup, and here we are again, celebrating together with the Benavides”, harangued the announcer on the stage set up at the foot of the monument to Martín Miguel de Güemes, in Salta.
And there was the epicenter of an unforgettable day for Kevin Benavides, winner of the Dakar 2023 on motorcycles, and his brother Luciano, 6th overall, who received the warmth of a crowd that recognized the enormous effort and the result achieved by their ambassadors.
The Benavides arrived at Salta Airport at 7:45pm. From that moment they have already felt the warmth of the people who welcomed them with songs and flags. Kevin, a KTM rider, brought the Touareg with him, the traditional award given to the winners of the most extreme competition in the world.
In addition to Kevin’s resounding triumph, Luciano was also applauded. Husqvarna rider, he won three stages (one more than Kevin) and proved to be the fastest within the structure that brings together the three brands (KTM, Husqvarna and Gas Gas).
The organization was flawless. From the Secretary of Sport of Salta, as from the Ministry of Tourism, they took on their shoulders an impeccable event, without overflows and emotions. The weather also matched, as the rain stopped minutes before the start of the event.
Above the pumper, the Benavides, who in addition to being born, live and train in Salta, sang and were moved by the path of the vehicle, which traveled along Namchik avenue up to the Limache roundabout; Paraguay, Pilgrims and 25 de Mayo Avenue, and finally ended at Belgrano Avenue at the Güemes monument.
Argentine flags, people from the balconies and those who followed the caravan on motorcycles, bicycles and some young people on foot, were the constants of a journey that will be unforgettable for the Benavides brothers.
There the riders got off the pump and two motorcycles, from the respective workouts of each brand they represent in the Dakar and W2RC World Championships, were waiting for them.
Without hesitation, Kevin and Luciano jumped aboard and tossed them off, causing the crowd to explode. They burned the rubber, made some maneuvers to the delight of the people and took the stage. There, the verses of the Argentine national anthem were sung, with the local police marching band, dressed like the gauchos of Güemes.
“I want to thank each and every one of you, from the bottom of my heart, for being here. And to see our strength exerted in the Dakar, which is the most extreme competition in the world,” Kevin said as he took the microphone.
“For the second time, and now with a new team, I managed to win the Dakar. It was very difficult. All this started a long time ago, with an intense training period, focused on doing my job very well. And today, seeing all this, which makes me very proud to represent my province and my country, it’s worth it”, underlined the winner of the Dakar 2023, with KTM, and of the Dakar 2021, with Honda.
“In the last stage I made a 110% effort to achieve it. And it was with lots of egg. We are Argentinian and we know what it means to put eggs in everything we do. This win belongs to all of you too,” he added.
The Benavides have had a busy schedule since their arrival in Argentina. When they arrived in Ezeiza on Tuesday evening, they were also greeted by sympathizers and fans, who arrived with their motorcycles and accompanied the Salta riders to the airport like a caravan.
On Wednesday, the meeting with the Argentine press, the recognition by KTM Argentina, and from there the flight to Salta, to experience an unforgettable night together with their people.
After the celebrations and a short rest, the Benavides will continue with the activity, as the Dakar was the start of the Cross Country World Championship, the W2RC.
The next round will be the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, in the United Arab Emirates, from 25 February to 2 March, and then the Sonora Rally will make its debut in Mexico, from 22 to 28 April. At the end of August the World Cup caravan will move to Argentina. The closing of the season will take place between 12 and 18 October, with the Rally of Morocco.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.