MATTHIAS WALKNER TAKES DAKAR RALLY LEAD ON STAGE NINE

Dakar Rally 2022 – Stage Nine

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Matthias Walkner has taken the provisional overall lead of the 2022 Dakar Rally following a fourth-place finish on day nine. Continuing to deliver strong and consistent stage results, the Austrian star now sits over two minutes ahead of the second-placed rider. Kevin Benavides placed second today, with Toby Price bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home in 17th. Danilo Petrucci finished one position further back and just seven seconds behind in 18th.

Relatively short at a total distance of under 500 kilometers, and with a timed special of 287 kilometers, stage nine of the Dakar was made up of a fast, looped route close to Wadi Ad Dawasir. As the third rider into the stage, Matthias Walkner immediately took his time, focusing on his navigation to avoid making any costly errors. However, with the special proving to be relatively straightforward, Walkner knew he would have to push to stay in touch with his two rivals ahead of him. By catching them both by the finish, the experienced Austrian not only moved himself up into the provisional lead of the race, but also lost the minimum of time to his closest competitors while also securing himself another strong start position for Wednesday’s stage 10.

Matthias Walkner: “It was quite a short stage today, but really, really fast. It wasn’t too difficult with the navigation and the boys in front did a good job, so it was quite hard to make up a lot of time. By the refueling I saw that I was a little off the pace, not too much, but I knew I would have to get my head down for the second half of the stage. It all seemed to pay off because I have taken over the lead of the overall and also my starting position for tomorrow is quite good. We’ve got three more really interesting days to come.”

Right on the pace from the very start of today’s special, Kevin Benavides placed within the top three for much of the stage, despite the times being exceptionally close throughout the top 10. Steering his KTM 450 RALLY to a runner-up result, the reigning Dakar Champion moves back up the provisional rally order to fifth, just over 10 minutes behind the leader. With three stages left to race and Kevin very much on form, the Argentinian hopes to be able to climb higher in the rankings to challenge for the podium places by the rally finish on Friday, January 14.

Kevin Benavides: “Stage nine was a really good stage for me. I felt really good on the bike and was able to push a lot. I expected the navigation to be a little trickier, but in the end, it was quite easy to choose the correct way. The guys in front did a good job of navigating so in the end it just came down to speed, and all the guys at the front ended up being really close on time. I finished second today, which will make tomorrow a little tougher. But I’ll focus on my navigation and with only three days left, my plan is to push all day, every day.”

Another solid performance on stage nine saw Toby Price complete the timed special as 17th quickest, albeit only eight and a half minutes down on the winner. Lying just outside the top 10 overall, Toby hopes to use his start position on Wednesday’s stage 10 to elevate himself further up the rankings.

Toby Price: “It was a good day, I had a couple of little mistakes, but nothing too crazy. I’m starting a little way back tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll be able to grab a little time back then. Other than that, the bike is good, I feel good, we’ll keep on pushing tomorrow.”

Danilo Petrucci once again showed his speed and class on stage nine of the rally, competitive on time and running for most of the day just outside the top 10. Losing a couple of minutes in the very final kilometers of the special, Danilo completed the day as 18th fastest, less than nine minutes behind the winner.

Danilo Petrucci: “I had a good day today. I’m really happy with my riding and was able to match the speed of the top guys for much of the stage. Unfortunately, I did have a small technical issue that caused me to stop a couple of times, but thankfully, I didn’t lose too much time. It might not be too much of a bad thing because I have a good start position for tomorrow now and I hope to be able to really push once again.”

Provisional Results Stage Nine (overall) – 2022 Dakar Rally

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHI), Honda, 2:29:30

2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 2:30:56 +1:26

3. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 2:31:17 +1:47

4. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 2:31:17 +2:06

5. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 2:31:40 +2:10

Other KTM

17. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 2:38:05 +8:35

18. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), KTM, 2:38:12 +8:42

Provisional Standings – 2022 Dakar Rally after 9 of 12 stages

1. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 30:14:03

2. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 30:16:15 +2:12

3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 30:17:59 +3:56

4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 30:18:44 +4:41

5. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 30:24:25 +10:22

Other KTM

11. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 30:49:17 +35:14

More, from a press release issued by Husqvarna Factory Racing:

STRONG RESULT FOR LUCIANO BENAVIDES ON DAKAR STAGE NINE

HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER DELIVERS NEAR FAULTLESS PERFORMANCE TO PLACE SEVENTH ON FAST TIMED SPECIAL

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has continued his run of top-10 stage results by placing seventh-fastest on day nine of the Dakar Rally. Equalling his result from day eight, Benavides completed today’s special just over four minutes behind the eventual winner. In the provisional rankings, the FR 450 Rally rider lies 14th overall.

The prescribed route for today’s 287-kilomtere stage nine was very fast, while also posing less of a challenge in terms of navigation. As such, the top competitors completed the stage with very little time to separate them. Setting off seventh into the special due to his strong performance from stage eight, Luciano Benevides used the first 100 kilometres to get comfortable and settle into the fast terrain before focusing on his speed from there to the end of the stage.

Completing the special four minutes and 21 seconds off the leading time, despite navigating through much of the stage on his own, Luciano’s pace shows the quality of his riding and the performance of his Husqvarna Factory Racing machine. With three days left to race, Luciano lies 14th overall, 54 minutes behind the provisional rally leader. However, with times between the riders extremely close, the 26-year-old is fully focused on delivering more strong results, and moving further up the order, to hopefully complete the event well inside the top 10.

Luciano Benavides: “Stage nine was a short, fast stage, but I really enjoyed it. It was made up mostly of rocky valleys and canyons with a few sections of dunes, too. The route was really high speed, so it wasn’t the best day to make up time on everyone else. I tried to be as consistent as I could because I think even a small mistake could end up costing you a lot of time today with everything being so close. I think I did a good job – I’m pleased to get two seventh place finishes in a row now, and again it puts me in a good starting position for tomorrow. I’m feeling good, the bike is working well with no problems, physically I am ok too. The team have also been putting in a lot of good work, so I’m really happy with how everything is going. I’m looking forward to pushing once again tomorrow.”

2022 Dakar Rally – Stage 9 Provisional Classification

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 2:29:30

2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 2:30:56

3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 2:31:17

4. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 2:31:36

5. Joan Barreda (Honda) 2:31:40

6. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 2:33:26

7. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 2:33:51

2022 Dakar Rally – Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 9)

1. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 30:14:03

2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 30:16:15

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 30:17:59

4. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 30:18:44

5. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 30:24:25

6. Joan Barreda (Honda) 30:25:00

…

14. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 31:08:36

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Honda Team:

Second victory for Nacho Cornejo. Monster Energy Honda Team well-positioned to contest the final Dakar stages

Monster Energy Honda Team riders will be in contention for the final overall Dakar Rally 2022 victory. Although the first week did not go quite according to plan, the team has, nevertheless, given their maximum to stand a chance in the rally’s grand finale. Nacho Cornejo won the ninth stage.

Fewer and fewer stages are left to decide the outcome of the 2022 Dakar Rally. Today, in the ninth stage, the 287-kilometre special stage around Wadi Ad-Dawasir began to mark out which riders will be in the final contention for the win. A total of 491 kilometres, through the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter, featured less sand than on previous days, but more mountain tracks running between canyons that demanded precise, mistake-free navigation.

Yesterday Nacho Cornejo had been left with a bittersweet taste after the eighth stage. A slight mistake towards the end of the special, had left the rider without the prize he had been ultimately seeking: that of minimising any markings for his pursuers to follow while opening the track throughout the day. Today, he returned to the Wadi Ad-Dawasir bivouac with a smile beneath his helmet after a second win in this Dakar, taking the young Chilean’s total tally to five.

Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider Ricky Brabec rode a fine special, pushing hard and posting third place on the day. Joan Barreda also completed the day’s stage with a certain degree of normality, a mere 2’10 behind his team-mate. Barreda, fifth on the stage, holds sixth in the general standings, less than 11 minutes behind the race leader. Lastly, Pablo Quintanilla did a commendable job today to set himself up nicely for the final victory battle of this 2022 Dakar. He finished eighth on the day and lies in fourth place overall just 4’41 behind the new race leader.

Tomorrow’s stage

With two days to go until the end of the rally, riders can once again expect a navigation-filled day before the 759-kilometre trek is completed. About half the distance – some 375 kilometres – will be against the clock. The crossings and parallel tracks could be the undoing of more than a few bikers.

Ricky Brabec  2

STAGE: 3RD  OVERALL: 12TH

Today went well. I think I rode very well, and that’s positive. The team, the riders and the mechanics are doing an excellent job. I’m slowly realising a couple of things: sometimes there are days when you don’t lose or gain time and sometimes you can gain or lose a lot of time. It’s something we have to study… I’m happy to be able to get to the end of another day with the whole team. There are two tough days left, so we’ll have to keep pushing. I try to go fast every day, to make up time, but maybe I have to do things differently.

Pablo Quintanilla  7

STAGE: 8TH  OVERALL: 4TH

I’m happy. It was a good day because the goal today was to catch Sam and not to make any navigation mistakes. In the end it was a straightforward day: no mistakes, I caught up with Sam after the refuelling and we clawed back another minute in the overall. I think I have a good position for tomorrow. I won’t have to open the track but I will have fast riders in front and behind. We will try to manage the pressure well tomorrow. The times are very tight and will stay that way until the end. I’m really enjoying the race.

José Ignacio Cornejo  11

STAGE: 1ST  OVERALL: 9TH

I think I had a good stage. Yesterday I lost a lot of time towards the end, opening the track, and today I wanted to make up some of that time. I would have liked to make up more, but the stage was very fast and it was difficult to make a big difference. I’m pleased: I did what I had to do, which was to push. There are three days left and we will continue with the same attitude, trying to turn out solid performances and improve in the general standings.

Joan Barreda  88

STAGE: 5TH  OVERALL: 6TH

Today went quite well. I started 10th, with several riders ahead of me. I set a steady pace, making good decisions in terms of navigation. As the kilometres went by, I felt a bit better and in the final part, I was able to push harder. The truth is that the riders in front navigated really well and didn’t make any mistakes, so the pace was pretty high. We weren’t able to pull back much from the riders in front, but the positive thing is that another stage is over and I have a chance to fight for the Dakar, recovering physically by the day. The goal is to reach the finish-line giving it the maximum.

More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory Racing:

ANOTHER POSITIVE DAY AT THE DAKAR FOR SAM SUNDERLAND

GASGAS FACTORY RACING STAR DELIVERS THE GOODS ON CRUCIAL STAGE NINE

Stage nine of the 2022 Dakar Rally was a crucial one for GASGAS Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland. After his impressive stage win yesterday, he faced the arduous task of leading the riders out on today’s 287-kilometer timed special. Digging deep to post a 14th place finish – a result that at first glance might look anything but impressive but in reality is genuinely one hell of a performance – the Brit lost only a minimal amount of time, just over eight minutes in fact, to the eventual stage winner. Now lying two minutes adrift of the provisional overall rally leader with three days to go, the race to the finish is well and truly on for Sam!

Exceptional navigation ensures Sam loses little time on stage nine

Over 30 hours of racing against the clock now complete

Four-rider battle for the Dakar crown begins to emerge

Sam Sunderland: “Opening a stage only adds to the difficulty of rally racing and I’m super happy with how the day went for me. On paper you could look at the results and think it wasn’t a great stage for me, but the reality was that leading out means you’re relying solely on your roadbook. Not losing huge chunks of time today means I did a pretty good job. Since my crash last week, I’ve felt better and better every day so I’m looking forward to this continuing through the final three days.”

In what’s turning into a four-rider battle for the 2022 Dakar title, Sam’s performance on stage nine may well be his best yet. With the Brit now firing on all cylinders after his crash during week one, he’s back to his best and more than ready for the final three days of racing.

Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2022, stage 9

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 2:29:30

2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 2:30:56

3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 2:31:17

14. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 2:37:33

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 9)

1. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 30:14:03

2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 30:16:15

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 30:17:59

THIRD-PLACE FINISH FOR MATTHIAS WALKNER ON DAKAR STAGE EIGHT

Dakar Rally 2022 – Stage Eight

Matthias Walkner has finished as third quickest on the long 830-kilometer eighth stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally, closing the gap on the provisional event leader who he trails by under four minutes. Toby Price enjoyed another solid stage, bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home in sixth place. Kevin Benavides finished as 13th fastest with Danilo Petrucci 25th.

Today’s 395-kilometer special comprised a three-way mixture of sand, dirt, and dunes. With navigation proving less testing than on Sunday’s stage seven, times throughout the front runners were extremely close with the top eight separated by only 10 minutes after close to four hours of racing against the clock.

Making the best use of his later start position, Matthias Walkner pushed hard right from the beginning this morning and was soon working his way through the field. Using his skill and experience, the Austrian was able to successfully complete the stage as third fastest, just over four minutes behind current rally leader Sam Sunderland. Although he will set off near the front on Tuesday’s stage nine, Matthias will start six minutes behind Sunderland and will use the opportunity to chase down his rival and make up those valuable minutes.

Matthias Walkner: “Every day at the moment is critical because you can win or lose so much time on every stage. Thankfully today went well for me, I was able to push all the way from the back. I gave my all out there today – everything I had – so I’m pleased to come away with third place and close in on the overall leader again. There are four more days left to go and with things so close it is more important than ever to complete each stage without making any big mistakes. I’ll do my best to keep focused and concentrate on the days ahead.”

A sixth-place result on stage eight has moved Toby Price one place further up the provisional overall leaderboard to ninth, just over 30 minutes down on the leader. With times closing up at the top of the rankings, and four more long days left to race, the experienced Aussie knows that a podium result is still well within his reach. Earning another favorable start position, for tomorrow’s stage nine, Toby will be looking to further reduce that gap to the leaders and elevate himself higher in the overall standings.

Toby Price: “It wasn’t too bad today. I got through most of the stage pretty well, I did make a couple of mistakes, but it’s hard to be absolutely perfect out there. The liaisons from today have meant it’s been a really long day in the saddle. All-in-all the bike was really good though and I’m ready for another day.”

Setting off as the second rider into today’s special, Kevin Benavides was able to maintain a strong pace despite having to open much of the stage. A small technical issue with his KTM 450 RALLY caused the Argentinian to stop to make a couple of adjustments midway through the special, but he was soon back on track and pushing to make up time. Completing the stage in 13th, Kevin now lies in an impressive sixth overall in the rally standings and will be aiming to further reduce his 14-minutes-and 47-second deficit to the leader on Tuesday’s stage nine.

Kevin Benavides: “I’m really pleased with how I rode today. It’s a little frustrating that a small technical issue cost me some time but thankfully I was able to complete the stage in a good position. I did make a couple of small navigation mistakes too, but on the whole things went well. It’s encouraging that after losing so much time on the first stage I am well within the fight for the top positions, so I’ll stay motivated and do my best again tomorrow.”

Two days into the second week of his first ever Dakar Rally, Danilo Petrucci continues to impress with both his speed and consistency. The former MotoGP™ star was running well inside the top 20 throughout today’s special, only for a small error in the closing kilometers to cost him several minutes and drop him down the order. Happy with his riding, Petrucci now looks forward to tomorrow and another long day on the bike.

Danilo Petrucci: “I’m happy to get to the finish as it was a very, very long day today. From the start I tried to find a good solid rhythm and then attack when it was safe to do so. I was really pleased with my navigation but just towards the end, I found myself in the wrong canyon and I had to turn around to get back on track. It’s frustrating, but it also means I have a strong starting position for tomorrow.”

KTM-supported privateer Mason Klein put in another exceptional performance today, finishing the long stage as fifth fastest. The 20-year-old continues to impress on his debut Dakar with both his speed and impeccable navigation skills. Today’s result places the American 10th overall and as leading rookie.

Provisional Results Stage Eight (overall) – 2022 Dakar Rally

1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 3:48:02

2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 3:50:55 +2:53

3. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:52:13 +4:11

4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 3:54:46 +6:44

5. Mason Klein (USA), KTM, 3:56:10 +8:08

Other KTM

6. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:56:41 +8:39

13. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 4:03:04 +15:02

25. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), KTM, 4:11:56 +23:54

Provisional Standings – 2022 Dakar Rally after 8 of 12 stages

1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 27:38:42

2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 27:42:27 +3:45

3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 27:43:25 +4:43

4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 27:44:12 +5:30

5. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 27:53:20 +14:38

Other KTM

6. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 27:53:29 +14:47

9. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 28:11:12 +32:30

10. Mason Klein (USA), KTM, 28:14:08 +35:26

More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory Racing:

SAM SUNDERLAND TAKES FIRST STAGE WIN AT 2022 DAKAR RALLY!

BRIT BACK ON TOP AS GASGAS FACTORY RACING’S NEWEST RECRUIT DELIVERS IMPRESSIVE RIDE ON TOUGH STAGE EIGHT TO RETAKE THE RALLY LEAD

Rolling with the punches and bouncing back in style after a difficult day yesterday, Sam Sunderland has arguably delivered his best performance of the Dakar Rally so far with victory on a seriously tough stage eight. Remarkably, it’s Sam’s first stage win of the 2022 rally, and his first for GASGAS Factory Racing, with the Brit’s impressive ride seeing him return to the top of the provisional classification.

Sam bounces back in style to win stage eight

Third Dakar Rally stage win for GASGAS in 2022

Sunderland retakes the provisional lead with four days to go

Sam Sunderland: “That was a really challenging stage today. There was a lot of sand early on but then near the end there were a lot of canyons to navigate through. You had to be really patient and choose the right one as it would be so easy to get lost and lose time. The guys opening, fortunately, did a great job, which made things a little easier for me but after leading out yesterday, I know how tough that can be. Early on I was pushing hard and I was a bit too aggressive with a few small crashes in the sand so I had to settle down a bit, get into a rhythm, and it paid off as I was able to take the stage win. We have some long days ahead, but today’s result is just what I needed after everything that happened yesterday.”

Undoubtedly, Sam’s determination and his ability to keep on keeping on, even when faced with ongoing Dakar challenges, is a huge reason the GASGAS RC 450F racer has returned to the top of the leaderboard. Relieved after taking his first win of the rally, Sam will be back in the hot seat tomorrow as the rider that has the unenviable task of opening the stage. Armed with his superior navigation skills, and a winner’s mindset, Sam will be first into a stage that will feature very little in the way of sand, yet a lot of rocky terrain, as he completes what might prove to be one of the pivotal stages of the 2022 Dakar Rally.

Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2022, stage 8

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:48:02

2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 3:50:55 + 0:02:53

3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 3:52:13 + 0:04:11

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 8)

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 27:38:42

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 27:42:27

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 27:43:25

More, from a press release issued by Husqvarna Factory Racing:

BENAVIDES CLAIMS SEVENTH ON DAKAR RALLY STAGE EIGHT

HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER CONTINUES HIS STRONG RUN OF FORM INTO SECOND WEEK OF GRUELLING EVENT

Continuing to deliver solid results on the long and massively challenging days of the Dakar Rally, Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has finished as seventh quickest on the long, 395-kilometre special on stage eight. Overcoming the usual yoyo effect, where riders starting near the front lose a considerable amount of time to their rivals before going on to earn an advantageous starting position for the following day, Benavides was able to maintain good speed on the stage with a minimum of mistakes. Ultimately, he completed the route just under 10 minutes behind the eventual stage winner.

After a steady start through the early kilometres of the stage where he focused on his navigation, Luciano was able to hold his position just inside the top 10 for the majority of the tough, mixed terrain timed special. Where some of his rivals faltered, Benavides was able to maintain his focus and bring his FR 450 Rally to the finish in an extremely commendable seventh place, nine and a half minutes down on the quickest time for the day. His result moves the 26-year-old up to 14th in the provisional overall standings.

Now, with his consistency paying off, and his 2022 Dakar Rally campaign going from strength to strength, the young Argentinian is looking to maximise the advantage he has for Tuesday’s 491-kilometre stage nine and make up more time on those starting ahead of him.

Luciano Benavides: “Stage eight was a really long day. As usual it had some tricky navigation but also had a really big mix of terrain with big plateaus and dunes, rocky tracks and valleys, and some canyons too – it was really good fun to race through. The stage was fast, and conditions were windy too, but I was able to do a good job of my navigation and so I’m really happy with that. My speed was also good considering I was up near the front. Altogether I’m very happy with how the day went and now I’m looking forward to pushing once again tomorrow.”

2022 Dakar Rally – Stage 8 Provisional Classification

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:48:02

2. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 3:50:55

3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 3:52:13

4. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 3:54:46

5. Mason Klein (KTM) 3:56:10

6. Toby Price (KTM) 3:56:41

7. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:57:34

2022 Dakar Rally – Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 8)

1. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 27:38:42

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 27:42:27

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 27:43:25

4. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 27:44:12

5. Joan Barreda (Honda) 27:53:20

6. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 27:53:29

…

14. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 28:34:45

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Honda Team:

Quintanilla, runner-up in the eighth stage, closes in on the rally lead

Pablo Quintanilla posted second place today at the finish-line in Wadi Ad-Dawasir, clawing back time and setting up the chance of making the top step of the final podium. Monster Energy Honda Team’s American rider Ricky Brabec was fourth on the day.

The Dakar Rally heads into its final stretch and today, with the lengthiest stage of this edition, at 830 km, the mileage count takes a hefty leap forward. On the agenda were 395 kilometres of special stage across the southern part of Saudi Arabia, with plenty of sand and a lot of dunes to be tackled. From Al Dawadimi it was on to Wadi Ad-Dawasir, on a day featuring more kilometres of link section than special stage. The most southerly located bivouac in this Dakar will be the destination for two stages: tomorrow, a new looping stage will see competitors charter territory in the vast Empty Quarter.

Pablo Quintanilla was the best placed representative from the Monster Energy Honda Team on today’s stage, although most of the riders performed well on the eighth stage of the Dakar 2022. Pablo reached the bivouac in second place, less than three minutes behind the day’s winner. Ricky Brabec also set a fierce pace, registering the day’s fourth best time, 6’44” behind Sunderland. Tomorrow, the American should be able to use tomorrow’s position to his advantage to gnaw into the time of his direct rivals.

Nacho Cornejo got lumbered with the unpleasant task of opening the track today after winning yesterday’s stage. The young Chilean rode well until the latter part of the day, when a minor navigation error caused him to slip back, losing a little more time than expected. Monster Energy Honda Team team-mate Joan Barreda took a tumble on a dune early in the special that left him in some pain throughout the day. The rider still managed to finish ninth in RallyGP with a 12 minutes deficit. The Spaniard is fifth overall, 14’38” behind the race leader.

Tomorrow’s stage

The Wadi Ad-Dawasir loop, some 491 kilometres in total, including 287 kilometres of timed special stage, will pass through a fairly unfamiliar area: the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter. Mountains and tracks between canyons will require a radically different riding style to the approach used until now. Less sand, but higher difficulty level, especially regarding the navigation.

Ricky Brabec  2

STAGE: 4TH  OVERALL: 12TH

Today’s route was good, it was very fast and the longest day of this Dakar. The first part was a lot of dunes, the second part was very fast. I rode alone all day, hoping to catch the group, but I couldn’t. I wish I was at the front… I wish I was up front battling with the top five. The first seven are within six minutes of each other! For our part, we’ll keep pushing for the remaining days; tomorrow could be a good day. We’ll see what happens… anything can happen in this Dakar.

Pablo Quintanilla  7

STAGE: 2ND  OVERALL: 4TH

Today was a good day for me. I took advantage of the starting position that I had and I finished the stage second and knocked off some time in the general standings. I’m very pleased. In the second part of the race we have been taking it day by day and reducing the time. The times are very tight and there are still four special stages to go. I’m calm, enjoying myself and focused on having a good race each day.

José Ignacio Cornejo  11

STAGE: 14TH  OVERALL: 11TH

Today was a tough stage, I knew it would be difficult because I had to open the track, but I think I was doing well until about kilometre 333, where I entered a track in a valley that was not the right one. I lost a lot of time to get back in the right place and I’m a bit upset about that because I dropped a little bit of time to the rest of the guys behind. Anyway, I still have the same attitude, the same desire for the remaining days of the race. We’ll go out with the same pace and the same concentration as in the last few days.

Joan Barreda  88

STAGE: 9TH  OVERALL: 5TH

The stage was difficult. The first part had a lot of sand and I had a fall when I jumped over a dune. I tried to stay with Nacho, who kept a very high pace today, and in the final part, with a lot of navigation, I managed to catch him. We made a mistake on a note with about 40 kilometres to go, where we lost quite a few minutes. It’s a pity because otherwise it would have been a really good stage. We have to fight every day, giving it our best. There are still days to go, so we have to grit our teeth.

Stage victory for ‘Nacho’ Cornejo. Barreda third

The break in Riyadh appears to have benefited the Monster Energy Honda Team riders – as can be seen in the seventh stage results – with riders bound for the Saudi Arabian capital and the new Al Dawadimi bivouac. Chilean ‘Nacho’ Cornejo won today’s stage with Barreda the third fastest.

To kick off the second and decisive week of racing, the opening kilometres of the seventh stage – after a liaison section – were battled out over fast tracks, some peppered with stones, followed by a hundred kilometres of dunes. There was plenty of sand and navigation in store over the timed 402 kilometres which took in valleys featuring some parallel tracks that proved the undoing of more than one rider.

Young Chilean José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo took advantage of a good starting position this morning to set a lightning pace throughout the stage. With the terrain in optimal conditions, the rider from Iquique registered the quickest times at almost every waypoint en route, reaching the finish-line with the top marker after taking three-and-a-half hours to complete the special. Nacho now lies in ninth in the general standings, 26’37” behind the leader.

Joan Barreda once again pulled off an epic performance and was able to finish the stage amongst the frontrunners in spite of a shoulder injury – an arduous feat given the demanding terrain. Bang Bang reached Al Dawadimi to the applause of the entire Monster Energy Honda Team, gritting his teeth throughout the entire stage, with surprising speed, to eventually post third. The Spaniard now occupies seventh in the Dakar, 8’30” behind the leader.

A positive stage not only for Cornejo and Barreda, but also for Ricky Brabec and Pablo Quintanilla. In addition to pulling back precious minutes in the general standings, their starting positions for tomorrow’s stage will allow a more gung-ho approach as they attempt to claw back even more time in the rankings. On the day Ricky finished seventh and Pablo eleventh, with the pair now holding thirteenth and sixth respectively.

Tomorrow’s stage

With a total of 830 kilometres by the end of the day, tomorrow will be the lengthiest stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally. After setting off the Al Dawadimi bivouac, there will be a liaison to reach the start of the special. Awaiting will be “just” 395 kilometres of special stage with a lot of sand and dunes through the valleys of the south of the country, arriving at the Wadi Ad-Dawasir bivouac after another very long liaison by road.

Ricky Brabec  2

STAGE: 7TH  OVERALL: 12TH

It was a good day for the team. It was long and rocky, but it was good. Some mistakes by other drivers allowed Pablo and I to open the last part of the special. It was a good team effort. We made up a good amount of time and we just have to keep pushing. The results are crazy, there are five days left and hopefully we can stay this strong and make it to the finish line. I’m outside the top ten, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get on the podium in Jeddah.

Pablo Quintanilla  7

STAGE: 11TH  OVERALL: 6TH

It was a very good day for the team, and I want to congratulate Nacho for the stage victory. For me, personally, it was a good day to pull back some minutes in the overall standings. It was not easy. After refuelling I realised that Sam and Mathias were lost and we took the opportunity to attack. The navigation was super-complicated and the roads were not visible, so we had to be very precise with the distances. I didn’t lose much time and I made up a few minutes on the guys in front. I’m very pleased.

José Ignacio Cornejo  11

STAGE: 1ST  OVERALL: 9TH

Today was a good day. I started from a nice position, so I hoped to take the opportunity to attack, make up some time in the general classification and maybe even the stage victory. In the end, I achieved both of them. I tried to stay calm, to keep my concentration and not get lost with the navigation and that’s the way it worked out. I’m happy for my fourth victory in the Dakar, the first of this 2022. The bitter taste of the first days is behind us and we are highly motivated for the week to come. We will fight until the end.

Joan Barreda  88

STAGE: 3RD  OVERALL: 7TH

I tried to start with some pace. At the beginning it was hard, with a rocky terrain that made me suffer a lot. I got a bit stiff when I was forcing my arms until I was able to relax a bit more in the faster sections. From the 100th kilometre onwards, I was able to push. I realised that the harder I pushed, the more confident I felt physically. I had some good feelings and I couldn’t have asked for anything better considering all I’ve been through.

More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:

RUNNER-UP RESULT FOR KEVIN BENAVIDES ON DAKAR STAGE SEVEN

Dakar Rally 2022 – Stage Seven

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides has placed second fastest on the long stage seven of the Dakar Rally. In doing so the Argentinian moves himself up to third overall in the provisional overall standings, one place behind teammate Matthias Walkner, who led out most of today’s special to claim an eventual 24th place finish. Toby Price finished ninth quickest, with Danilo Petrucci successfully completing the arduous stage in 30th.

Leaving the Saudi capital of Riyadh, competitors made their way west towards Al Dawadimi on stage seven, but first they faced a challenging 402-kilometer timed special that comprised a mixture of seemingly endless dunes followed by more tricky-to-navigate canyons and riverbeds. Finding the mixed terrain very much to his liking, reigning Dakar Champion Kevin Benavides made the very best use of his 13th place start position to work his way up through the field to ultimately complete the stage in second. The result gives the number one plate holder a huge boost in the overall standings, moving him from eighth up to third, just over five minutes behind the leader.

Kevin Benavides: “I really pushed today, and it feels good to have that hard work pay off with a strong result. Navigation was tricky, especially later on, and I did make a couple of mistakes that cost me some time, but I was able to fix them quickly and keep a good rhythm going to the finish. I’ll be up near the front tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Putting in a solid day seven performance from his eighth-place start position, Toby Price knew the special would throw up a few surprises and so focused on accurate navigation for the entirety of the stage. Completing the initial dune section as one of the fastest riders, Toby showed more caution as the terrain got technical in the latter half of the stage. Bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home in ninth place, Price moves up one more place in the overall rankings to 11th with five stages left to contest.

Toby Price: “Not a bad stage for me today, there was one really tricky bit of navigation in the middle there, so I took my time through that section to make sure I got through ok. I’m here safe in one piece, so can’t complain at all. On the whole, it’s been a really good day today, so we’ll focus on tomorrow now and hopefully more of the same.”

After catching and passing the one rider setting off ahead of him, Matthias Walkner soon found himself opening the technically demanding stage. The Austrian was able to maintain a good pace through the 100-kilometer dune section at the beginning of the special, keeping the chasing pack at bay. But when the terrain changed to the slower, rocky tracks later in the stage, a couple of small errors resulted in several minutes being lost for the KTM 450 RALLY rider. Despite finishing in 24th place, just over 10 minutes down on the stage winner, Matthias remains in second overall and will now enjoy an advantageous start position for Monday’s long 830-kilometer stage eight.

Matthias Walkner: “It was a super tricky to navigate stage today. I think with the rain that we had here last week it’s washed a lot of the pistes away, so it’s difficult to know exactly where you are sometimes. There was one waypoint that was especially hard to find, and I know I lost a lot of time on that one alone. Other than that, the stage went well, I was opening for a lot of the first half until I got lost a little and I’m happy with my pace. Stages like that are especially tiring, it takes a lot out of you, so I’m looking forward to getting some rest now and attacking again tomorrow.”

Successfully completing another stage at his debut rally, Danilo Petrucci finished 30th, 27 minutes down on the day’s winner. Still a little hurt from his stage six crash, Danilo continues to tick off each stage with solid rides on his Tech3 KTM machine, and now has his sights set firmly on the finish line in Jeddah on January 14.

Provisional Results Stage Seven (overall) – 2022 Dakar Rally

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHI), Honda, 3:28:46

2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:29:30 +0:44

3. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 3:31:37 +2:51

4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 3:36:36 +7:50

5. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 3:37:15 +8:29

Other KTM

9. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:39:23 +10:37

24. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:51:36 +22:50

30. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), KTM, 3:55:53 +27:07

Provisional Standings – 2022 Dakar Rally after 7 of 12 stages

1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 23:45:02

2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 23:50:14 +5:12

3. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 23:50:25 +5:23

4. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 23:50:40 +5:38

5. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 23:51:36 +6:34

Other KTM

11. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 24:14:31 +29:29

More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory Racing:

DANIEL SANDERS OUT OF 2022 DAKAR RALLY WITH INJURED LEFT ARM FOLLOWING STAGE SEVEN CRASH

BATTLING ON FOR GASGAS FACTORY RACING SAM SUNDERLAND DIGS DEEP TO HOLD ONTO FOURTH OVERALL

You win some. You lose some. You learn that when it comes to the Dakar Rally anything can happen. After what was a truly awesome first week of desert racing by GASGAS Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders, the Australian’s rally came to a disappointing end today when a crash resulted in the Aussie charger fracturing his left elbow and wrist!

Despite the huge disappointment for Daniel and the team, Sam Sunderland overcame a seriously tough stage to put in a champion’s performance and navigate superbly. Completing the stage by losing a minimal amount of time to his rivals, Sam now lies fourth overall in the provisional standings, just under six minutes adrift of the new overall race leader.

Tough stage seven for GASGAS Factory Racing

Fractured elbow and wrist ends Sanders’ 2022 Dakar Rally

Sunderland remains in contention for the win despite a difficult day

Sam Sunderland: “A bit of a rough day for me today. It was a difficult stage, made even more challenging by leading out. After the rain that had fallen recently, it had washed sand onto many of the tracks, which made navigation even more difficult as you couldn’t always see the track beneath the sand. Starting up front was really difficult, but I managed the stage the best I could. It was the same for everyone though and I’m glad to have not lost too much time. Also, I want to wish Daniel all the best – he had a big one today.”

Unfortunately for Daniel Sanders the 2022 Dakar Rally is now over following a fall from his GASGAS RC 450F during today’s opening liaison, which resulted in a fractured left elbow and wrist. With two stage wins to his name at this year’s event – a competition the jovial Australian has unquestionably stamped his mark on – Dakar 2022 was shaping up to be a super successful rally for the Aussie. Lying third in the provisional standings at the time of the incident, Daniel will remain in hospital overnight tonight while undergoing ongoing medical checks, ahead of expected surgery on his elbow tomorrow.

Heal up soon, Daniel!

Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2022, stage 7

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:28:46

2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:29:30

3. Joan Barreda (Honda) 3:31:37

28. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:54:41

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 7)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 23:45:02

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 23:50:14

3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 23:50:25

4. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 23:50:40

More, from a press release issued by Husqvarna Factory Racing:

FOURTH-PLACE FINISH FOR LUCIANO BENAVIDES ON DAKAR STAGE SEVEN

HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S ARGENTINIAN STAR EARNS BEST RESULT OF 2022 EVENT SO FAR

Luciano Benavides has put in his best performance of the 2022 Dakar Rally to date with an excellent ride to finish in fourth place on the technically demanding 404-kilometre special on day seven. While others struggled with the navigation required to successfully complete the stage without issue, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rider skilfully worked his way through the route, maintaining a good pace and strong rhythm.

Fast right from his 15th place starting position as he headed into the stage, Benavides was able to work his way up to fifth place by the end of the sizeable dune section that dominated the opening half of today’s special. From there, the FR 450 Rally mounted racer maintained his top-five placing as he took on the rougher and more challenging second half of the special on the way to Al Dawadimi.

Holding his own right to the finish of the stage, Luciano was able to complete the special in fourth place, less than eight minutes down on the eventual winner. The result moves the Argentinian up a further two places to 15th overall, 52 minutes adrift of the provisional race leader. Luciano is now well-placed to mount another attack on Monday’s stage eight, where he will enjoy a fourth-place start position into the 395-kilometre special.

Luciano Benavides: “I had a really good feeling with the bike today and because of that I felt really comfortable pushing hard all through the stage. For sure, it’s my best day of the rally so far. I did make some mistakes later in the stage with my navigation, but thankfully I was able to get back on track quickly and didn’t lose too much time on the others. After a difficult start to the race and being forced to try and make up time on every stage, getting a result like this is really good for my confidence. I’m looking forward to tomorrow now and a strong second week to the rally.”

2022 Dakar Rally – Stage 7 Provisional Classification

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:28:46

2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:29:30

3. Joan Barreda (Honda) 3:31:37

4. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:36:36

5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 3:37:15

6. Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) 3:37:43

2022 Dakar Rally – Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 7)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 23:45:02

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 23:50:14

3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 23:50:25

4. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 23:50:40

5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 23:51:36

6. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 23:53:17

…

15. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 24:37:11

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team:

Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team’s Adrien Van Beveren Takes Dakar Rally Lead

Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team’s Adrien Van Beveren has kicked off the second week of racing at the 2022 Dakar Rally in style by moving into the provisional overall lead after successfully completing a challenging stage seven. Continuing what has been an incredibly promising race for the Frenchman so far, his 10th place finish moves him to the top of the leaderboard with a healthy five-minute advantage over his nearest rival. Andrew Short was the team’s fastest rider through the 401-kilometre special, finishing eighth to move into 10th in the provisional standings. Ross Branch re-joined the race and posted the 12th fastest time.

Consistency, speed, and a focused approach throughout the Dakar Rally is certainly paying off for Adrien Van Beveren who now leads the 44th edition of the event. Delivering a masterclass in navigation today when many of his rivals struggled with some of the tricky notes found in the roadbook, Van Beveren delivered a strong result on stage seven to put himself on top of the provisional overall classification with five days of racing remaining.

As the 16th rider to enter stage seven, Andrew Short was focused on securing a strong finish, riding his way to an eventual eighth fastest time. After posting impressive results since day two of the event, the Yamaha WR450F Rally mounted rider has continued to work his way up the overall leaderboard day-by-day, and now lies 10th in the provisional standings.

Ross Branch returned to action today after crashing out on stage six. Able to re-join the race and gain vital Dakar experience, despite riding in pain he enjoyed the 401-kilometre stage despite its navigational challenges to place 12th.

Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team10th Stage 7

Today was a great day for me. There was some really tricky navigation and I didn’t make any big mistakes, which was good and where I felt I could push, I really pushed where it was possible to do so. It feels great to be leading after everything that has happened to me over recent years but I know all too well that the race is far from over. I’ll continue to focus on each day and keep fighting to the end.

Andrew Short – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team8th Stage 7

It took a while to get going today after having a day off yesterday with the rest day, but I started getting back into the swing of it as the stage went on. There was a lot of tricky navigation today, especially with some valleys and canyons thrown in there as well as a lot of sand that had been washed into them. But overall, it’s great to tick another stage off and play a part in a positive day for the team with Adrien now leading and Ross back in the race as well.

Ross Branch12th Stage 7

It’s nice to be able to line-up again and gain some more experience at the Dakar. My leg is pretty painful but with the team we decided to give it a go today and I’m glad I did. It was a fun stage but pretty difficult with navigation and I made a couple of small mistakes out there. It’s great to be back racing and I hope my leg is a little less sore tomorrow.

Dakar Rally 2022Stage 7 Provisional Classification

1. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 3:28:46

2. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 3:29:30 + 0:00:44

3. Joan Barreda (Honda) 3:31:37 + 0:02:51

4. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:36:36 + 0:07:50

5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 3:37:15 + 0:08:29

6. Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero) 3:37:43 + 0:08:57

…

8. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 3:39:01 + 0:10:15

10. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 3:41:20 + 0:12:34

12. Ross Branch (Yamaha) 3:41:50 + 0:13:04

Dakar Rally 2022Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 7)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 23:45:02

2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 23:50:14 + 0:05:12

3. Kevin Benavides (KTM) 23:50:25 + 0:05:23

4. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 23:50:40 + 0:05:38

5. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 23:51:36 + 0:06:34

6. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 23:53:17 + 0:08:15

…

10. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 24:13:12 + 0:28:10