Home / Sports / Al-Attiyah Claims 6th Dakar Crown, Benavides Wins Bike Title by Seconds
Al-Attiyah Claims 6th Dakar Crown, Benavides Wins Bike Title by Seconds
17 Jan
Summary
- Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally car victory.
- Luciano Benavides won the motorcycle category by a record two seconds.
- The two-week endurance event was held entirely within Saudi Arabia.
Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally car category victory on Saturday, extending his legendary status in the sport. Partnered with Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin, Al-Attiyah dominated the two-week event, which was held entirely within Saudi Arabia. This win also marks Dacia's first triumph in the rally on their second attempt.
In the motorcycle category, Argentina's Luciano Benavides achieved a historic win, securing the title by an astonishing margin of just two seconds, the closest finish ever recorded. Benavides capitalized on a navigational error by American rider Ricky Brabec in the final kilometers to snatch victory. The gruelling 8,000 km race tested competitors across deserts, dunes, and rocky terrains.
Nani Roma finished a distant second in the cars, over nine minutes behind Al-Attiyah, while Mattias Ekstrom took third. In the bikes, Tosha Schareina secured third overall for Honda. The rally, renowned for its extreme endurance challenge, concluded in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu.
