Argentine rider Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM) had a poor performance on Stage 9 of the Dakar Rally, finishing in ninth place and losing the lead in the general classification. According to the Argentine News Agency, the 30-year-old rider from Salta, who is seeking his first title in the category, recorded a time of 3 hours, 57 minutes, and 32 seconds on the 418 timed kilometers corresponding to the first half of this marathon stage, which will conclude this Wednesday. The first position in the stage was taken by Spanish rider Tosha Schareina (Honda), who was 3 hours, 45 minutes, and 42 seconds faster than Benavides, beating him by almost 12 minutes. The lead in the general classification went to Australian Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM), who finished second in the stage, while American Ricky Brabec (Honda) now appears in second place, six minutes and 24 seconds behind. Benavides, for his part, lost significant ground and fell to third place in the general classification, although he is only seven minutes and five seconds behind Sanders, so he remains fully in the fight for the title. The 30-year-old Argentine is seeking his first victory in the Dakar Rally, an achievement his brother Kevin accomplished in the motorcycle category in 2020 and 2023.
