Dakar 2023: Luciano Benavides Wins Stage 11, Howes Retakes Overall Lead
Time wasn't on Ross Branch or Mason Klein's side by the end of the stage.
As winner of Stage 10 of the 2023 Dakar Rally, Ross Branch was the first rider to tackle the 274 kilometers of Stage 11. Time bonuses on this stage were awarded to the top three riders over the first 142 kilometers, up to the stage’s refueling point. The first rider could get as much as a 1.5-second per kilometer bonus, the second rider could gain a single second per kilometer, and the third rider could rack up a half-second per kilometer.
Unfortunately for Branch, he quickly slipped down the order by the 20-kilometer checkpoint. Skyler Howes took the lead, followed by Luciano Benavides, Sebastien Bühler, Nacho Cornejo, and Franco Caimi.
By the 89-kilometer checkpoint, Skyler Howes still had the best time, with Luciano Benavides in second, Pablo Quintanilla in third, and Daniel Sanders in fourth. By this point, Howes wasn’t just winning the stage—his time also put him back in front in the overall 2023 Dakar Rally bike category standings, as well.
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The refueling point occurred after the 142-kilometer checkpoint, and Luciano Benavides was back in front timewise by that point. He was trailed by Skyler Howes, Pablo Quintanilla, Kevin Benavides, and Daniel Sanders, all clocking times within a two-minute span. Today was another tough day for Mason Klein, who was down by at least 15 minutes off the pace at this point.
47 kilometers later, at the 189-kilometer checkpoint, the top five remained pretty much the same. Luciano Benavides had the fastest time, with Skyler Howes in second, Daniel Sanders in third, Pablo Quintanilla in fourth, and Kevin Benavides in fifth. While the frontrunner pack stayed roughly the same throughout the stage, Toby Price managed to sneak up and take third place by the end of it.
Here are the top 10 riders and times from Stage 11 of the 2023 Dakar Rally:
| Rider | Team | Time |
| Luciano Benavides (ARG) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | 2 hours, 57 minutes, 59 seconds |
| Daniel Sanders (AUS) | Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing | 2 hours, 59 minutes, 37 seconds |
| Toby Price (AUS) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 2 hours, 59 minutes, 55 seconds |
| Skyler Howes (USA) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | 3 hours, 0 minutes, 8 seconds |
| Pablo Quintanilla (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | 3 hours, 0 minutes, 53 seconds |
| Sebastien Bühler (DEU) | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | 3 hours, 3 minutes, 5 seconds |
| Romain Dumontier (FRA) | Team Dumontier Racing | 3 hours, 3 minutes, 33 seconds |
| Lorenzo Santolino (ESP) | Sherco Factory | 3 hours, 3 minutes, 42 seconds |
| Franco Caimi (ARG) | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | 3 hours, 3 minutes, 57 seconds |
| Kevin Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 3 hours, 4 minutes, 21 seconds |
After Stage 11, Skyler Howes regained the overall lead in the standings, followed by Toby Price in second and Kevin Benavides in third, with a gap of two minutes and 44 seconds to Howes’ total time thus far. Just three stages remain in the 2023 Dakar Rally, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.
Source: Dakar
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