Dakar win for Benavides as injured Chucky finishes fifth

Luciano Benavides has claimed a dramatic overall victory in the 2026 Dakar Rally, beating former two-time champion Ricky Brabec by just two seconds.

The Argentine KTM rider triumphed in one of the closest battles in Dakar history, launching a final attack just one kilometre from the finish. Honda’s Brabec entered the last stage with the advantage, but couldn’t hold off a flying Benavides in the final minutes.

For Benavides, the win marks his first Dakar crown in nine attempts, and he now joins his brother Kevin Benavides, a two-time winner, in the event’s elite club.

“I still can’t believe it. I never stopped dreaming,” Luciano said. “To win by just two seconds is unbelievable. I even missed the last two corners and nearly crashed, so it was right on the limit –but it paid off.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s Daniel “Chucky” Sanders could only watch as his KTM teammate secured the title he himself had taken just 12 months earlier. Sanders crashed on Stage 10, reportedly breaking his collarbone and losing insurmountable time to his rivals.

Despite that setback – and with hopes of a back-to-back Dakar victory effectively gone – the Australian chose to continue, gritting his teeth through the pain to claim an impressive fifth place.

Although Sanders would undoubtedly have preferred a different outcome, he expressed genuine excitement for Benavides, embracing him at the finish line despite the injury.

“I’m really happy for the team, and that’s just Dakar – it’s never over until it’s over,” Sanders said. “I was in a lot of pain and honestly just ready to lie down, but that gave me the extra motivation to go and see Luciano and congratulate him. It’s so cool and incredible for the whole team.”

The final stage win went to another KTM rider, Edgar Canet, while Honda’s Tosha Schareina rounded out the overall podium behind Benavides and Brabec.

Another Australian, David Brock of Victoria, finished 83rd, while former two-time bike champion Toby Price placed eighth overall in the car category in his debut for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed his sixth Dakar car crown, driving for the Dacia Sandriders.