KTM go 17-in-a-row at the Dakar Rally
This years dakar takes a toll on top riders but ktm maintain their winning ways
It's with absolute certainty that we can say nothing is certain is the Dakar Rally. Going into the event Sam Sunderland (KTM), Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha), Joan Barreda (Honda) and other top riders all with the experience and skill to win were forced to withdraw following incidents during the race.
Meanwhile Toby Price (KTM), returning to the Dakar a year after crashing out of the race and breaking his leg, rode the race of a lifetime and ended the 2018 event on the podium with a solid 3rd place. Price' strength and determination was clear from the start and there's every possibility that if the canceled stages had gone ahead he could have caught up more time and improved his position if not won the race overall.
Kevin Benavides (Honda) rode a steady race to take second place 16 minuted behind the 2018 champion, KTM's Matthias Walkner. Sixteen minutes may sound like a huge gap but in the Dakar that can disappear in a flash with one bit of bad navigation or a minor breakdown.
But it was to be Walkner's day as the Dakar came to a close in Argentina and would mark the 17th year that KTM has taken the win continuing their domination of the Dakar Rally.
Walkner, who entered the final timed special stage of the rally with a healthy 22-minute lead over his nearest competitor, has unquestionably put in a champion’s performance at this year’s event – the 40th edition of the Rally Dakar.
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