2023 Desafio Ruta 40 – Stage Four
It was finally Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides’s day, taking the win on day four of the 2023 Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina, following a string of three successive second-place finishes. The FR 450 Rally rider excelled through the dunes in the second half of the special to claim his first stage victory and reduce the deficit to the provisional rally leader, now six-minutes off the lead.
Luciano Benavides – P1
“Finally, I have got a stage win at my home race – the most important one at Fiambala. Honestly, at the beginning this morning I was taking things a little steady because I didn’t feel so confident. But then after the neutralisation, I saw the dunes and decided to push. It was really good – I was able to catch Tosha (Schareina) ahead of me and then opened for a few kilometres. I really gave my all today, and so towards the end of the special I started to get tired, and I think because of that, I made a small mistake that maybe cost me two minutes. But I was still able to take the win and it feels great. Tomorrow is the final stage and I get to open on the way to Salta, which was always my plan and will feel great in front of my home fans. Hopefully, I can deliver another good result and a strong finish to the rally.”
Stage four of the Desafio Ruta 40 took riders on another loop starting and ending at the bivouac in Belen. The 345-kilometre special began with a twisting riverbed, leading into a sandy region dotted with camel grass. Following a lengthy transfer, the riders then tackled the renowned Fiambala dunes, an area previously featured in the iconic Dakar Rally.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price secured another fifth place and with one day of racing, the Australian lies ninth overall improving from 13th yesterday, with that hour gap to the leaders from his earlier shock failure on stage two proving hard to close.
Price’s consistent improvement stage-after-stage demonstrates his determination to maximise his championship points and take the fight into the fifth and final round in Morocco, despite the earlier setbacks putting his chances of winning the title in doubt.
Toby Price – P5
“It’s been a better day for me today. I got through it all pretty well, but the bonus time for leading out is definitely a big advantage here in Argentina – it’s tough to make up time on those boys. I can’t do too much from the back of the field, I’m just trying to stay smooth and consistent, and finish safe each day. There’s one more day to go, so the goal, as always, is to keep it on two wheels and make it to the end.”
2023 Desafio Ruta 40, Stage 4 (Provisional)
- Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 2:53:57
- Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 2:54:33 +0:36
- Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 2:55:43 +1:46
- Michael Docherty (ZAF), KTM, 2:57:17 +3:20
- Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 2:58:37 +4:40
2023 Desafio Ruta 40 after 4 of 5 stages (Provisional)
- Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 13:15:26
- Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 13:21:13 +5:47
- Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 13:38:39 +23:13
- Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 13:44:49 +29:23
- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 13:47:54 +32:28
…9. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 14:41:17 +1:25:51
