2021 DAKAR RALLY REVIEW
P58
Feature
T
he 2021 Dakar Rally will go
down as one of the most un-
predictable in the race's histo-
ry, with Argentina's Kevin Benavides
outlasting the world's best rally riders
to take his and his country's first vic-
tory in the motorcycle category.
In his sixth Dakar, 32-year-old
Benavides clinched his maiden title
ahead of Monster Energy Honda
Team 2021 teammate Ricky Bra-
bec, sealing the first one-two for
Honda since 1987 and firmly putting
an end to KTM's dominance of the
event. Third for the rally went to Sam
Sunderland (Red Bull KTM), who
made a last-ditch effort to reclaim
his 2017 title by winning the penulti-
mate stage, but losing a race-ending
amount of time when he opened the
track for the final day.
Fourth for the rally went to the
brilliant rookie, Daniel Sanders (KTM
Factory Racing). The Australian
Enduro Champion showed he is per-
fectly adaptable to the rigors of rally
racing, consistently running in the
top 10 for the majority of the rally and
making a final push to seal a top-four
finish in his debut.
Fifth place went to an ecstatic
Skyler Howes on the privateer BAS
Dakar KTM Racing Team entry. Utah
resident Howes once again paid his
way to get to the Dakar and even
had the honor of seeing his name at
the top of the rankings after Stage
Three. The result affirmed his worthi-
ness of a factory-level ride in the
Dakar, something he'll be chasing
hard if he's to continue competing in
this ultra-expensive form of racing.
BENAVIDES
BRINGS HOME
THE BACON
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALLY ZONE, HONDA AND YAMAHA
