Argentine Kevin Benavides (Honda) is the new leader of the Dakar motorcycle classification, after the tenth stage won this Wednesday by his American teammate Ricky Brabec and in which the previous leader, Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo, also with the brand Japanese, dropped out due to a fall.
Brabec covered the 583 kilometers of the timed section in three hours, 12 minutes and 33 seconds, entering the finish line ahead of the Spanish Joan Barreda, also with Honda, second, three minutes and 15 seconds, and Kevin Benavides, third, five minutes and 11 seconds.
Two stages from the finish, the leader Kevin Benavides now only has a 51-second advantage over Brabec, winner of the 2020 Dakar.
Victim of a fall at km 252, in this tenth stage, which was held between the cities of Neom and Al Ula, Cornejo managed to reach the finish line in eleventh position, with a delay of 17 minutes and 42 seconds, compared to the winner of the day.
The Chilean, one minute and 7 seconds behind Benavides in the general classification, still in third position, decided to withdraw from the competition once he had passed the finish line.
In principle, Cornejo, 26, had suffered a fall “without gravity”, according to the organizers, in this stage with 342 km of special stage.
After crossing the finish line, the pilot, in agreement with the race medical service, decided to withdraw from the competition, mainly due to a potential risk of concussion. The Chilean was taken by helicopter to the Tabuk hospital, to undergo additional tests.
Cornejo, in his sixth participation in the Dakar, had won the eighth stage of this 43rd edition, and held the first place in the general classification since Sunday. In 2020 he finished in fourth position, having won two stages.
After the abandonment of Australian Toby Price (KTM) on Tuesday and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait (Husqvarna) on Monday, he is the third favorite to leave the race this week, in a test that is held for the second time in Arabia Saudi.
Another Sainz mistake
In cars, Carlos Sainz finished in fourth position after giving time, first due to a navigation error and then dust, despite the Spanish driver making up time during the end of the special.
“We had a navigation problem in the early stages of the special and then the dust also gave us time,” said Sainz.
The victory in the special went to Stephane Peterhansel, who with this victory consolidates himself at the top of the table with 17.50 minutes over Nasser Al-Attiyah and more than an hour his teammate.
.
