Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides is all set to race the 2024 Dakar Rally, beginning on January 5 in Saudi Arabia. The forty sixth version of the occasion is billed to be one of the crucial difficult to this point, with practically 5,000 kilometres of timed specials and a brand new 48-hour stage designed to push riders and groups to the restrict.
After clinching the world championship title in 2023, Luciano is keen to maintain his constructive momentum going as he heads into the 2024 Dakar. At the 2023 occasion, the Argentinian received three levels and completed sixth total, matching his career-best end result from 2020.
Going on to assert 4 podiums on his FR 450 Rally in 2023, Luciano had a stellar rally-raid season. At the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge he positioned second after a troublesome race by the UAE desert. At the Sonora Rally in Mexico, Benavides as soon as once more completed on the rostrum, this time in third place.
Luciano devoted himself to in depth testing and coaching with the group in the course of the lengthy summer season break. That onerous work paid off, with the 28-year-old securing a second-place end at his dwelling race in Argentina – the Desafio Ruta 40. A fourth podium end result on the remaining spherical of the championship, the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco, ensured the Husqvarna Factory Racing star was topped world champion. Overall, Benavides claimed a formidable 10 stage wins throughout the five-round season.
Heading into 2024, and fired up by his championship win, Luciano is trying to enhance on his earlier Dakar outcomes and end on the rostrum to make sure a powerful begin to the brand new season.
Hosted in Saudi Arabia for the fifth time, the Dakar Rally begins on January 5 within the metropolis of AlUla. This yr’s version of the 14-stage occasion will current riders with loads of new challenges, specifically within the type of the 48-hour ‘Chrono Stage’, which is the revamped marathon stage. With 60 p.c of the 2024 route protecting brand-new territory in Saudi, navigation abilities will likely be extra essential than ever.
Luciano Benavides: “I was 14 years old when I realised I wanted to be a Dakar rider. I remember watching the Dakar in Salta, seeing all the top guys race so close to my home was a crazy experience. When I watched that day, I was still riding enduro at the time and I remember saying that I wanted to race rally one day – and now I’m here! The Dakar is such a cool adventure for 15 days, where you have to be fully prepared for everything – happy, sad, tired, hungry – some days you just don’t want to race again and your emotions go up and down. But when you’re feeling on top, that’s what you want to get back to. You go through so much and feel so much in just one Dakar that you would need 10 years to fit it all in any other way. It’s a race that makes you a better person both physically and mentally. Last year’s Dakar gave me a lot of confidence and motivation to know that I have what it takes to win. Winning stage six was something that changed my mind and perspective on racing and confirmed to me that to be a Dakar champion is my dream. Every day, I wake up and think about it! Riding for Husqvarna is really important to me, it’s a brand that I love, from the team to the bike. I will do my best to achieve my dream and make it a reality as it’s something I’ve prepared for my whole life.”
Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “To win the world championship with Luciano this yr was unimaginable! Now, heading into Dakar 2024, Luciano has been trying super-fast within the testing classes, his pace is unimaginable and he’s clearly very assured on the bike. He has made an enormous step ahead on his technical driving, so with the arrogance from his world title behind him I feel he can do rather well at Dakar!