Red Bull KTM Factory Racing announces its 2024 Rallye du Maroc team

Press release | September 29, 2024

Luciano Benavides and Daniel Sanders will race in the Rallye du Maroc under the Red Bull KTM banner. Kevin Benavides continues his rehabilitation from his injury and is focused on returning to competition at the upcoming 2025 Dakar Rally.

This is the KTM press release…

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team is preparing for the 2024 Morocco Rally with a completely new lineup. Luciano Benavides and Daniel Sanders, who return to the Red Bull KTM yard, are ready to take on the challenge of the Moroccan event, which will take place from October 6-11. Kevin Benavides continues his rehabilitation from his injury and is focused on returning to competition at the upcoming 2025 Dakar Rally.

The action begins in the Rallye du Maroc with a prologue on Sunday, October 6, followed by five full stages of the race. Starting in Zagora, the cyclists will traverse the Moroccan desert for a total of over 2,400 kilometers, until the finish line in Mengoub on October 11. This race, which is a combination of terrain and technically demanding navigation, will certainly be an extremely demanding event and will be a perfect preparation for the 2025 Dakar Rally.

Recent testing in the United States and Morocco in preparation for the upcoming races had been extremely positive for the team, with all riders eager to see how they would fare against their rivals after a few months off.

Luciano Benavides Crowned 2023 FIM Rally-Raid World Champion and having finished second in last year’s Rallye du Maroc, Luciano Benavides is determined to achieve greater success at the iconic event this year. Despite being ruled out of his home race, the Desafio Ruta 40, earlier this year due to injury, the Argentine has been working hard throughout the summer to ensure he is fit and ready to fight in Morocco.

Luciano Benavides: “I have been working hard over the last few months preparing for Morocco and it will be a great opportunity to see where we are after the tests. Physically I’m feeling really good after my recovery and I’ve spent a lot of time working on roadbooks with the team in the US and Argentina. This is the first time my brother and I will be on the same team, wearing the same colors, which is really special. It’s great to have Daniel at our side and I think we will be a really strong team. I’m still getting used to the new bike, but I always really enjoy this rally and have great memories of it from last year. Bring Morocco!”

Having achieved some good results at the beginning of the season, Daniel Sanders is looking forward to getting back in the saddle and taking part in the Rallye du Maroc. Chucky is full of enthusiasm after several positive months of testing with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team and is determined to finish on the podium as he did in 2021 with his KTM 450 Rally.

Daniel Sanders: “It has been a long break since Argentina and we are very motivated to race in the Rallye du Maroc. It’s been three years since I last raced in this event and managed to get on the podium, so I hope to do the same this year. It’s really exciting to be back in the KTM colors and I want to do justice to their hard work. It’s great to work with the Benavides brothers and I’m sure we will be a great team. This rally always serves as excellent preparation for the Dakar because the terrain is very similar. I’m very excited to get back on the pitch and hopefully bring home a trophy!”

The new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad will be led by two-time Dakar champion Kevin Benavides, who is fully focused on getting back to full fitness ahead of the 2025 Dakar Rally in January. Working closely with the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre, the Argentine continues to make good progress in his recovery, but has decided to skip the Rallye du Maroc this year to focus on the Dakar Rally.

Kevin Benavides: “I feel really positive now because I have spent a lot of time recovering and although progress is slow, I am getting closer every day. It was very difficult for me after the accident, but I always look to the future. I can’t wait to get back to racing, rallying is my passion and I just want to get back there! My goal is to perform at 100% in Dakar and until then I will support the team as much as possible while it recovers, which is why we decided to go outside Morocco. Being on the team with Luciano is special, and Daniel is really great too, so the three of us in orange will be pretty cool!”

Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “It was a difficult year for the team, but we worked hard throughout the season to be ready for the Rallye du Maroc because it is the best preparation for the Dakar. We are confident in the new team, especially since everyone is wearing orange! Unfortunately, we are still missing Kevin, but with Luciano, last year’s world champion, and Daniel, a super strong desert rider, we believe that everything will be fine in Morocco. We are excited to race again!”

The 2024 Maroc Rally kicks off with a prologue on Sunday, October 6, followed by five stages of action-packed racing before the finish in Mengoub on October 11.

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