Kevin Benavides, the Argentine who tamed the Dakar again: 'I gave everything; was it serum or champagne'

It is one of those

that Argentine sport should treasure as the highest expression of national representation.

In this discipline there are the best and

as it is complex and extraordinary.

The

is unique for every characteristic that distinguishes it from the rest.

And there,

.

And up there is Kevin Benavides

, the driver from Salta, who at 34 years of age, has won a Dakar for the second time.

Two years ago, on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, the Argentine became the first Latin American to win on

This time, on the other side of the country, on the Persian Gulf, Benavides once again crowned himself the best.

If winning a Dakar is already epic, achieving it in a heart-stopping one-on-one, exceeds all expectations

.

Benavides began the day, which started at 6:15 as he left the cold and rainy camp at Al Hofuf, with a deficit of 12 seconds compared to who had been the leader until then, the Australian Toby Price, a KTM teammate.

For 43 seconds.

That was the difference that allowed Benavides to touch the sky with his hands.

Photo: REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Two specialists who defined neither more nor less than a Dakar, after traveling 8,100 kilometers since December 31, with more than 43 timed hours.

“I came out with everything.

I knew I had to play myself to win.

And I gave everything.

.

There were no half measures.

And so I faced the stage, which was very complicated because there was a lot of mud, a product of the rains of the last few days.

But I knew that I had to accelerate fully, ”he commented to

at the end of the 14th special of the competition.

There was the sentence line.

And there Luciano Benavides arrived first, Kevin's younger brother, who as soon as he crossed the finish line with the Husqvarna, got off the bike to follow the performance of the contenders for glory.

As this time the start was reversed, the leaders came from behind.

And from the organization every step of the two candidates was known.

In

.

And then it all went in favor of Benavides, who finally overtook him by just 43 seconds.

“When I finished the stage on Saturday, I had been thinking about the link, how I should face Sunday and what possibilities I had.

.

I went out to push, I couldn't control the other riders.

I had to do what I know how to do: drive”, explained the man from Salta.

The triumphant arrival of Kevin Benavides.

Photo: REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

“

.

Two years ago I won with Honda, and that's why I switched to KTM, because I wanted to win with another brand.

That motivated me to make the change.

And i did it.

It is an immense joy, that surely as the days go by I will fall into what this victory means ”, he highlighted.

“On Saturday I started from fourth position.

That put me out of the race, until the organization took over for him.

And I had to focus again on going out to do my times.

At the end of the day I realized that the possibilities were there, I just had to go out and do it ”, he explained.

Of course I couldn't stop celebrating.

The international television cameras, the photos, the team's requirements, everything happened there, in the middle of nowhere where the organization set up the arrival of the last stage of the Dakar 2023. “

, which is the toughest competition in the world.

It was a great race, because I won two stages, I did it with KTM, the brand with which I won something for the first time.

My brother Luciano won in three stages”, added Benavides.

After a while, Norberto, the father of the Benavides brothers, appeared.

He was moved to find them there, hugged them tight.

He followed the race from a car and tried to get closer to the places where the race passed.

He “I tried to follow her through the apps, but it was very difficult.

Here I found out that Kevin won ”, he commented.

Kevin Benavides celebrates with a Red Bull.

Photo: FRANCK FIFE / AFP

“I did a great job to arrive firmly at this Dakar.

Physically I was in impeccable condition, without injuries or blows.

And with the team, I think we reached the ideal state, since we achieved the evolution of the bike”, highlighted the man from Salta, who achieved glory after 44 hours, 27 minutes and 20 seconds.

Kevin's training in his native Salta comes from Enduro

.

There he stood out at the provincial and national level and followed his international path.

But in 2015, excited by the passage of the Dakar in his region, he consulted about navigation and gradually entered this world, first participating in the Desafío Ruta 40 (this year that race will be part of the Cross Country World Championship), until surprise in the Dakar.

Likewise, Benavides restored glory to KTM, an Austrian brand that dominated the motorcycle discipline in the Dakar for decades.

In fact, since the year 2000 he has prevailed in 20 editions, between that year and 2019. And now he has resumed his triumphant path with the man from Salta.

The Argentine Dakar winners

The Argentine successes in the Dakar came hand in hand with the visit of the mythical competition to South America.

On Argentine soil, the Patronelli brothers set the course in the quads, a category that gave the national award-winners, until the appearance of Kevin Benavides.

In the category of light vehicles, the list of Argentines who once took over the most extreme motor competition on the planet adds a new pearl with this second crown from Benavides.

The list was started by Marcos Patronelli (2010, 2013 and 2016 quad champion), Alejandro Patronelli (2011 and 2012 quad champion), Nicolás Cavigliasso (2019 quad champion) and Manuel Andújar (2021 quad champion).

Kevin Benavides, in 2021, was the first Latin American rider to win in the motorcycle category, the most demanding of the Dakar.

Damman, Saudi Arabia.