Argentine Kevin Benavides (KTM) won the 13th stage of the Dakar for motorcycles, placing himself 12 seconds behind provisional leader Toby Price on the eve of the finish in Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Benavides, winner of the Dakar in 2021, stopped to assist Matthias Walkner at the start of the special, then recovering 23 minutes, thus taking victory away by 27 seconds from South African Michael Docherty, in the first Dakar.
At the end of this 675 km stage, including 154 km of special, between Shaybah and Al-Hofuf in eastern Saudi Arabia on the Gulf, Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna), 27, finished third, 57 seconds behind his brother Kevin.
Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) took fourth place (2 minutes and 05 seconds) and Romain Dumontier, another outsider is sixth (2 minutes and 32 seconds behind Benavides).
The Australian Toby Price (KTM) is 2 minutes and 28 seconds behind the rider from Salta and holds the lead in the general standings in extremis, with only 12 seconds ahead of Benavides.
The American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna) remains in ambush, third at 1 minute and 31 seconds from the Argentine.
