Kevin Benavides takes overall Desert Challenge lead

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge served up another dramatic episode, March 7, as Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides built hopes of a first bikes win and Stephane Peterhansel held course for a record seventh cars victory.

The 318-km ADNOC Distribution Special Stage 2 saw Nasser Al Attiyah on four wheels and Ross Branch on two record the fastest times 24 hours after both had crashed out of overall contention.

It was a day when Benavides vividly illustrated the spirit of the new World Rally-Raid Championship stopping for more than 20 minutes to assist overnight bikes leader Michael Docherty after his heavy fall, before resuming to take the overall lead.

Credited at the end with the time he gave up in helping Docherty, the KTM star now holds a 4 mins 23 secs advantage over American Ricky Brabec, with Chile’s Ignacio Cornejo another 41 secs away in third place.

The top six was completed by previous champions Sam Sunderland on a GasGas and Honda’s Pablo Quintanilla, followed by the other Benavides brother, Luciano, on a Husqvarna.

Petershansel, fourth quickest on the stage in an Audi RS Q e-tron, finished the leg with a reduced outright cars advantage of 7 mins 49 secs from Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi in a Toyota Hilux.

Czech Martin Prokop was third, 15 mins 50 secs off the lead in his Ford Raptor RS Cross Country.

Poland’s Jakub Przygonski in a Mini John Cooper Works Buggy and Mathieu Serradori in a Century CR6 completed the provisional top five.

Kevin Benavides takes overall #AbuDhabi Desert Challenge rally lead.#WamNews https://t.co/CbWDcr9qHR pic.twitter.com/JdTVhncdpb

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) March 7, 2022