Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides and Toby Price have successfully completed the incredibly demanding 2024 Dakar Rally. Securing his third stage victory in this year’s competition on the 12th and final stage, Benavides finished fourth overall. His teammate Price followed closely, finishing fifth overall after his second-place result today.
Words & Images: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
The 46th edition of the Dakar Rally proved to be one of the toughest on record with its mixed, challenging terrain and demanding navigation. Organizers delivered 13 full days of racing, which included the new 48-hour chrono stage with riders sleeping under the stars with zero assistance from their teams. Of the 7854 kilometers covered, 4709 were raced against the clock – a daunting task for any seasoned rally racer and one the Red Bull KTM team attacked head on.
Although defending Dakar Rally Champion Kevin Benavides came into the 2024 Dakar Rally less than 100% fit, the Argentinian put any issues behind him to focus on his title defense right from the off. With the event immediately opening with tough terrain and complex navigation, a small mistake on stage two cost Benavides dearly. From then on, the 35-year-old did his utmost to fight back and claw his way into contention for overall victory. Day three marked the first of three stage wins for Kevin, demonstrating his speed over the challenging terrain. Never giving up and carrying the fight right to the final kilometer, victory on the final stage of the race secured Benavides a highly commendable fourth place in the overall standings.
Kevin Benavides: “It’s been a really tough Dakar. They all are of course, but this year had some very, very long days of riding, especially with the 48-hour stage. It’s been good, I have been able to take three stage wins, so we can take some positives away from the event. Both Toby and I finished inside the top five as well, which shows good consistency. It’s frustrating not to finish on the podium after all the hard work that the whole team put in. But we’ll go away now, get some rest, and then we have a few things we know we need to work on to come back stronger next time.”
Toby Price, racing his 10th edition of the world’s toughest rally-raid, has delivered day after day of fast, consistent rides at this year’s event. Following a navigational error on stage one, Toby bounced back to steadily climb his way back up the leaderboard as the race progressed. Securing several top-five stage results, including a runner-up finish on the final stage, Price ultimately completed the rally in fifth place, trailing teammate Benavides by less than seven minutes after over 52 hours of racing against the clock. An exceptional performance by the official Dakar Rally Legend.
Toby Price: “For us, it’s definitely been a really tough event this year. Thankfully, it’s always a good result when you can get to the finish line in one piece at the Dakar, and here we are, happy and healthy. Looking back over the week, we were never far off the pace, just made a few too many mistakes out there and as you know that can cost some serious time at Dakar. The whole Red Bull KTM team have been incredible over the two weeks and have worked so hard. It’s a shame we’ve not been able to reward them with a podium. Big credit to the top guys as well, they got it done this year, so congratulations to them.”
Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “It’s great to see both of our riders complete the event safely, especially with such strong results on the final stage. After a couple of mistakes early on, both Kevin and Toby fought back as hard as they could, putting in some excellent rides on some very tough stages. For Kevin, who came into the race less than 100% fit following an injury at the end of last year, I’m really happy that he was able to complete the rally and take a few stage wins in the process. Toby also delivered some impressive rides throughout the whole event, and neither of our riders gave up – that much is clear with their results on the final stage. It is disappointing not to have finished on the podium, and we know we have some work to do to increase our pace in some of the different terrains, but fourth and fifth after such a demanding race are both excellent results. I’m proud of the riders and the whole team.”
Provisional Results – 2024 Dakar Rally, Stage 12
1. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 1:48:40
2. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 1:49:40 +1:00
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 1:49:54 +1:14
4. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 1:50:05 +1:25
5. Diego Gamaliel Llanos (ARG), KTM, 1:51:54 +3:14
Other KTM
8. Mathieu Doveze (FRA), KTM, 1:52:16 +3:36
10. Bradley Cox (ZAF), KTM 1:52:59 +4:19
Provisional Standings – 2024 Dakar Rally (after 12 of 12 stages)
1. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 51:30:08
2. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 51:41:01 +10:53
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 51:42:33 +12:25
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 52:08:56 +38:48
5. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 52:15:36 +45:28
Other KTM
9. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, 53:26:36 +1:56:28
10. Martin Michek (CZE), KTM, 54:18:57 +2:48:49
