Argentine rider Luciano Benavides (KTM Red Bull) finished second in the stage 12 of the motorcycle category of the Dakar Rally and dropped to the second position in the general classification, so this Saturday a very close finish is expected in the final of the competition. According to what the Argentine News Agency (NA) learned, Benavides completed the 310 timed kilometers that linked Al Henakiyah and Yanbu in a time of 3 hours, 22 minutes and 44 seconds. The winner of the stage was American Ricky Brabec (Honda), who beat Benavides by 3 minutes and 43 seconds, which allowed him to take the lead in the general by only 3 minutes and 20 seconds over the Argentine. In this way, a very tight finish is expected in the 105 timed kilometers corresponding to the thirteenth and final stage of this Dakar Rally, where the slightest error could tip the scales in favor of Benavides or Brabec. Benavides, 30, is seeking his first title in the Dakar Rally, where his best result was the fourth place he achieved last year. Brabec, for his part, is a veteran in the category, where he already won in 2020 and 2024.
