The 9th stage of the Dakar on motorcycles was won by Kevin Benavides (Honda), who saw his teammate Jose Ignacio Cornejo increase his lead, especially as his runner-up, Toby Price (KTM), victim of a heavy fall, was forced to abandon.
Nice operation for Jose Ignacio Cornejo! The Chilean rider is more than ever in the lead of the Dakar, three days from the final finish, after the 9th stage which saw him finish second and which was marked by the abandonment of his main rival. During this 465 kilometer loop around Neom, Cornejo, winner on Monday, led the way, and like his predecessors, failed to win the special (no rider has won two stages in a row this year). He took the lead in the intermediate timing points in the middle of the special, but was overtaken at the end by Kevin Benavides, who won the special with a 1’34 lead over Cornejo, his team-mate. This is his second victory in the special on this Dakar 2021, which will console him to have seen his brother Luciano abandon this Tuesday, due to a crash.
Price gives up!
Another pilot ended up in the hospital, and not just anyone! Toby Price (KTM), who was second in the overall standings on Tuesday morning, at 1’06 de Cornejo, crashed at kilometer 155 and was hit in the left arm and shoulder. He was taken to the hospital in Tabuk by helicopter. The Australian, winner of the Dakar in 2016 and 2019, will therefore not succeed in the treble and leave the field open to Cornejo, who is now 11’24 ahead of Benavides overall. The best Frenchman of this Dakar (following the retirement of Xavier De Soultrait on Monday), Adrien Van Beveren, took fifth place on the stage (having come third, he will see Sunderland and Brabec be credited with about fifteen minutes for staying with Price), 13’52 behind the Argentinian, and climbed from 14th to 9th place overall.
🏍 Bikes – Stage 9 🏁 Provisional Results
🏆 @kmbenavides (ARG)
🥈 @ nachocornejo11 (CHL)
🥉 @A_Vanbeveren (FRA) # Dakar2021 pic.twitter.com/hRZPZvE5J6– DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 12, 2021
RALLYE-RAID / DAKAR 2021
9th motorcycle stage – Neom – Neom (579 km, including 465 km of special) – Tuesday 12 January 2021
1- Kevin Benavides (ARG / Honda) in 4h49’15
2- Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHI / Honda) at 1’34
3- Ricky Brabec (USA / Honda) at 8’18
4- Sam Sunderland (GBR / KTM) at 11 ”11
5- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA / Yamaha) at 13’52
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General motorcycle classification after 9 stages (out of 12)
1- Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHI / Honda) in 36h51
2- Kevin Benavides (ARG / Honda) at 11’24
3- Sam Sunderland (GBR / KTM) at 15’34
4- Ricky Brabec (USA / Honda) at 24’26
5- Joan Barreda (ESP / Yamaha) at 29 ′
…
9- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA / Yamaha) at 1h02’48
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