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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides delivered a stellar performance on stage eight of the 2025 Dakar Rally, securing his first stage win of the event. After stopping mid-stage to assist a fellow rider, Benavides recovered brilliantly to claim victory by more than two minutes once his lost time was reallocated. The result elevates the #77 to fourth in the overall standings. Teammate Daniel Sanders delivered another strong performance, opening much of the 483-kilometer special to secure seventh place on the stage and maintain his overall lead by 11 minutes. Rally2 standout Edgar Canet impressed again, finishing eighth overall and second in Rally2, extending his class lead to over 31 minutes and rising to eighth in the overall rankings.
Stage eight of the Dakar presented competitors with another demanding challenge, featuring a lengthy 483-kilometer timed special that tested both skill and endurance. Riders departed the bivouac in Al Duwadimi and covered a total of 733 kilometers on the route to Riyadh.
As the sixth rider into the special following his strong performance on stage seven, Luciano Benavides was in contention for the stage win right away. However, after witnessing a fellow rider crash mid-way into the special, Benavides stopped to help. Immediately on the pace after getting back underway, Luciano quickly made up ground on his rivals, ultimately topping the day's results by more than two minutes after his lost time was reallocated. In claiming his first stage win of the 2025 Dakar Rally, Luciano moves up to fourth in the overall standings with four stages left to race.
Luciano Benavides: “It’s never easy to see a fellow rider crash, so Adrien [Van Beveren] and I stopped to help Pablo [Quintanilla] and we stayed with him for about 30 minutes. After we restarted, it was difficult because the crash is always playing on your mind but you have to just keep going. Despite having to ride in the dust from many riders and make several overtakes, I pushed really hard and it paid off with my first stage win of the race, which is amazing!”
Leading out into the rocky tracks and open desert of the stage, Daniel Sanders did an incredible job of opening the special. After a super technical first 100 kilometers, which required unwavering focus, Daniel was joined by teammate Edgar Canet who assisted in opening the way. Setting an impressive pace, Daniel ultimately posted the seventh-fastest time aboard his KTM 450 RALLY, with nearly seven minutes of bonus time awarded to him. The Australian remains firmly in the lead in the overall rally standings, with a gap of 11 minutes over his nearest rival, ahead of the final four stages.
Daniel Sanders: “That might have been the toughest stage yet, especially the first 100 kilometers, which were really technical and hard to navigate, so I lost a fair bit of time there. After the refuel it was really fast and I was opening with Edgar [Canet], which was cool. I made a few little mistakes here and there, but I have a decent starting position for tomorrow so I’m happy.”
Thanks to his runner-up finish on the previous stage, Edgar Canet was the second rider to leave the bivouac in Al Duwadimi. Quickly catching up to teammate Daniel Sanders, Canet joined forces with Sanders and Tosha Schareina to help open the route. Demonstrating impressive consistency, the young Spaniard tackled the 483-kilometer special with skill, maintaining a strong pace and rhythm to secure an excellent eighth-place overall finish and second in the Rally2 category. His outstanding performance extends his class lead to over 31 minutes and elevates him to an impressive eighth place in the overall standings.
Edgar Canet: “That was a good stage for me with a lot of tough navigation as I started second. At around 90 kilometers I caught up to Daniel [Sanders], and then Tosha [Schareina] caught me, so we all rode together all day after that. It was great to be opening with my teammate and I feel like I’m definitely improving with every stage.”
Provisional Results – 2025 Dakar Rally, Stage 8
1. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 4:50:46
2. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA, Honda, 4:52:54 +2:08
3. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 4:53:00 +2:14
4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 4:55:07 +4:21
5. Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, 4:55:45 +4:59
Other KTM
7. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 4:57:30 +6:44
8. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 4:57:57 +7:11
Provisional Standings – 2025 Dakar Rally (after 8 of 12 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 44:26:52
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 44:37:55 +11:03
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 44:48:23 +21:31
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 44:57:40 +30:48
5. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 44:57:48 +30:56
Other KTM
8. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 45:47:54 +1:21:02
