Luciano Benavides took control of the Dakar for the first time in his career yesterday on completion of stage 8. He is also the first Argentinean to do so since his brother Kevin in 2023. In the overall rankings, he leads is team-mate Daniel Sanders by only 10’’.

Behind the KTM duo, Honda has set out its troops: Ricky Brabec in 3rd (4'47’’ behind), Tosha Schareina in 4th (trailing by 20’13’’), Skyler Howes in 5th (41'06’’ down) and Adrien Van Beveren in 7th (1hour 3 minutes down).

Hero rider Nacho Cornejo, trailing by 45’58’’, is in 6th position. The battle between KTM and Honda promises to provide a thrilling contest for the end of the Dakar. Check out the highlights here.