RALLY DAKAR 2023

Luciano Benavides repeats, Skyler Howes continues to lead and Joan Barreda says goodbye to the Dakar 2023

The Argentine Luciano Benavides has become the first driver to repeat partial victory in the Dakar 2023 after winning the ninth stage, covering the 359 kilometers between Riyadh and Haradh in a time of 3 hours, 18 minutes and 44 seconds; leading Australian Toby Price by just over a minute, who was three seconds away from taking the lead from American Skyler Howes, third today.

A stage that has meant the end of Spanish hopes for final victory with the fall and abandonment of Joan Barreda, which reduces the list of favorites to the final victory. On the other hand, Tosha Schairena finished ninth, just ahead of Lorenzo Santolino, who is now in the top 10 of the general classification.

As happened before yesterday, it has been a stage where opening the track has penalized significantly. A brown that did not want to eat Ross Branch, winner of the previous stage and who, having no chance in the general classification, had no problem 'losing' the three minutes that separated him at the start from Mason Klein, who in the first waypoint was already passing in front of the Botswana.

A waypoint that Joan Barreda did not pass through, creating uncertainty that the organization cleared up an hour later by confirming his abandonment as a result of a fall at kilometer 16. The Spaniard complained of back pain and had to be evacuated by helicopter to Riyadh hospital.

While up to five riders were grouping up ahead -with Daniel Sanders, Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren reaching the leading duo-, the fight for the stage seemed to be a matter of two: the Australian Toby Price and the Argentine Luciano Benavides, who before halfway through the stage, he hunted down his partner Skyler Howes, riding together for the rest of the stage.

A fact that would end up being key to the victory of Luciano Benavides, who -after debuting his record two stages ago- took advantage of the extremely strong pace of the American, overcame the deficit with Toby Price -which had been more than a minute- to end up winning with more than a minute of rent, with Skyler Howes himself finishing the stage in third position, almost three minutes behind the Argentine.

Joan Barreda has said goodbye to the Dakar 2023 on stage 9(image above)

The top 5 of the day was completed by the South American couple from Honda, with Chilean Nacho Cornejo fourth and Argentine Kevin Benavides fifth. The sixth position was left by the Slovenian rookie Toni Mulec, ahead of two others not usual in those positions in this Dakar, such as the Czech Martin Michek and the Argentine Franco Caimi. The top 10 was completed by the Spanish Tosha Schareina and Lorenzo Santolino.

The five 'openers' of the track finished quite a bit further back: Adrien Van Beveren delivered almost 16 minutes; Pablo Quintanilla 18 and a half (with 28 bonus seconds), Ross Branch almost 20 (2:05 bonus), Mason Klein 21 and a half (3:24 bonus) after a fall; and Ross Branch nearly 26 (bonusing 'only' 1:54).

by SWINXY