Six key storylines from the 2023 Dakar Rally

Not unlikely because the Argentinean hasn’t got the talent, but because it was the first time in the Dakar’s long history that the lead changed hands during the final stage. After racing for 14 days over 4200 gruelling kilometres, first and second were separated by just 43 seconds. Benavides’ first win came in 2021 when he rode for the factory Honda squad, and now he’s picked up the 2023 winning trophy, this time riding for the Factory KTM outfit.

Australia’s two-time Dakar Rally winner Toby Price used his experience and speed to set-up what should have been a brilliantly executed Dakar victory. The 35-year-old played it smart from start to finish, ending 12 of the 14 stages in the top six, and crucially none of them stage wins so he wasn’t forced to lead out at any point during the event. He took the lead in the general standings with two days left to run, and as they started the special on the final day, the margin was just 12 seconds over teammate Benavides, and 1m30s over third-placed Skyler Howes (Husqvarna). But despite Price riding a clean and quick final stage, Benavides wanted it more and clawed back the time he needed to loft rally racing’s most coveted trophy. Price and Howes completed the podium.

After breaking his elbow in a transport stage during last year’s event, Aussie Daniel Sanders (GasGas) wanted to finish on the podium this year, after a credible fourth-place finish as a rookie in 2021. After a great start, the young Aussie was leading the standings at the end of stages three and four, but a virus meant he finished stage five down in 21st place, dropping him to eighth in the general standings. Three more second-place stage finishes saw him move into seventh by stage eight, but it was as good as the Aussie could do this year after some inconsistent results in the latter stages of the event.

South Africa’s Michael Docherty (Husqvarna) was the highest-ranked rookie this year, finishing in 16th overall, 3h21m07s behind Benavides. South Africa’s Charan Moore (Husqvarna) took the honours in the unassisted Original by Motul category, finishing 27th overall, 7h53m35s slower than the fully supported KTM star. In 49th place, Mirjam Pol (Husqvarna) was the highest-ranked female rider to finish Dakar, 14h15m05s adrift of the winner, while France’s Romain Dumontier (Husqvarna) took the Rally 2 honours with 14th overall (+2h04m24s).

Proving what many riders were calling the toughest terrain in recent memory, the 2023 event saw the withdrawal of some very talented riders across the two-week event. Reigning champ Sam Sunderland (GasGas) was out of the game in just the first stage, while 2020 winner Ricky Brabec’s (Honda) Dakar came to a premature end during stage three. The fourth stage claimed 10 riders, including Rodrigues Joaquin (Hero Motorsports), and 29-time stage winner Joan Barreda Port crashed out during stage nine, while neither Mason Klein and 2018 Dakar Rally winner Mattias Walkner saw stage 13’s finish line.

Racing in the Original by Motul category in his first-ever Dakar attempt, Isle of Man TT star James Hillier (GasGas) swapped the hedges for the sand dunes and finished a hugely credible 76th overall. With a best finish of 58th on stage four, and a worst finish of 107th the very next day, the road racer turned rally racer battled the pain of a dislocated shoulder to finish what’s regarded as the toughest off-road race in the world. “Rally raids may be less dangerous than road racing, but not by a wide margin,” he said. “At any rate, my experience will help me to keep my ambition in check as I know how far I can push and where my limits lie. Clarity of mind is key in events where everything can change at any time.”