VOLUME 62 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 22, 2025 P83
In fourth place was the man of week two, Luciano
Benavides. Like Van Beveren, the second factory
KTM rider came on strong late in the rally, taking
two stage wins (eight and nine), and held up family
honors after elder brother, teammate, and former
two-time Dakar champion Kevin Benavides retired
at the rally's halfway point citing health concerns fol
-
lowing a massive crash early in 2024 that left him in
an
extended medically induced coma.
"It's been a tough two weeks, but I'm pleased
with my performance," Argentine Benavides said.
"Of course, I want more but to get two consecutive
stage wins means a lot to me. This is also my best
Dakar result ever, so it's definitely special."
The 2025 Dakar was a case of what might have
been for Ricky Brabec (Honda). The former two-
time Dakar winner was on the back foot early after
his and teammate Skyler Howes' navigational
drama on Stage Four, but the Californian's famous
never-say-die approach to rally-raid racing ensured
Tosha Schareina
made up for the
disappointment of
2024 by taking a
fine second overall
and a stage win
to boot.
