“This is like in the World Cup and the definition of penalties with France”
, Kevin Benavides
had predicted
upon arrival at Shaybah, at the end of the 12th stage.
And his projection was fulfilled.
And boy is it fulfilled.
The penultimate stage was won by the Argentine rider, who with this partial victory was only 12 seconds behind the new leader of the Dakar motorcycle category,
Toby Price
.
“This race is incredible.
You only have to think that we have already run more than 8,000 kilometres, we have spent more than 43 hours of competition and we are only 12 seconds behind.
Unimaginable, but here we are"
, the driver from Salta commented with astonishment and pride, knowing that he is one step away from achieving his second great victory in the Dakar and replicating what he had obtained here in Saudi Arabia two years ago.
And there was Kevin, alluding to his analogies with the
World Cup
that took place right here, in Qatar, where the competitors crossed the border between the two countries.
“I went out to push as much as possible.
But at kilometer 45 I found Matthias (Walkner) who was lying down, with a lot of back pain.
He was very nervous.
It's the kind of coup we don't want to happen.
But I stayed until the doctors arrived.
And then I tried to focus, it's not easy because you go through a very bad situation and you have to concentrate again.
But I tried to do my best," explained the man from Salta in an extreme situation, knowing that it was later indicated that Walkner could have suffered a fractured vertebra.
In the morning there were moments of confusion in Al Hofuf, where the Dakar camp was set up.
The stage was won by Luciano, the younger brother of the Benavides.
But the Husqvarna rider was penalized for passing a speed checkpoint more than allowed.
And that caused the sum of one minute.
Then there was speculation that Kevin was the new winner of the penultimate stage.
The organization had to deduct the time he stopped to help Walkner, the injured pilot he found on the road.
And finally, the discount put him as the winner of the stage, already a dozen seconds behind Price
.
Kevin Benavides accelerates in the dunes.
REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Argentine music is heard from the speakers that are in the motorhome shared by the brothers Kevin and Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) during these 20-day stay at the Dakar camp.
And the soccer climate seems to infect the Salta pilots:
“It's for honor.
You have to speed up as much as possible.
It will be difficult but it is not impossible.
It's the best time to hear:
'We got excited again',
because I'm obviously going for the win”
.
Kevin smiles.
He knows that he feels strong for the finish.
He did a Dakar from minor to major, dominating the scene, controlling the strategies to manage when he had to open specials and when not, according to his partial results.
“I need everyone's strength. I want to receive the best energies to seek victory. But let no one have any doubts that we are going to try it”
, harangued the man from Salta, who maintains communication with his fans through social networks.
Kevin Benavides aboard his KTM.
REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
"Come I'll eat you!"
Benavides joked when asked what he would say to Price if he were like
Dibu Martínez
.
“The race was very hard, very physical, extreme.
The most difficult since it has been run in Saudi Arabia.
So there is no need to speculate on anything for the last special.
That despite being short, it can present surprises ”, he highlighted.
And in this World Cup euphoria, which pushed the Benavides to paint their helmets and boots with Argentine flags, the conversations also refer many times to the soccer field, even more so considering that
most of the members of the Dakar camp are from France
. so jokes are common currency.
“With Toby I have a very good relationship.
This is a sports contest, nothing more.
I respect him as an athlete, he has won the Dakar twice.
But tomorrow I want to paint the second star”, highlighted Kevin Benavides, who arrives whole and in great shape for a historic definition in the Dakar world.
AL HOFUF, Saudi Arabia. Special delivery
look too
Kevin Benavides and the definition of the Dakar: "We are like against France, to penalties"
The firefighter who was summoned at the last minute to run the Dakar 2023 and had the pleasure of winning a stage
