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    RALLY

    One of the toughest events on the planet

    Speed, adventure, navigation and many hours in the saddle are all things associated with the incredible sport of Rally. Pushing both man and machine to the extreme, rally competitions are among the toughest events on the planet. Riders use roadbooks for navigation while racing at high speeds across varying terrain in some of the most challenging conditions. The most famous and prestigious event on the rally calendar is the Dakar Rally, which takes place annually in January and is followed by sports fans around the world. KTM has enjoyed great success at the event with an impressive 18 consecutive victories between 2001 and 2019. 

    In 2025, Daniel Sanders had an incredible season winning both the 2025 Dakar Rally, and the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Meanwhile, Edgar Canet won the 2025 FIM Rally2 World Cup. Luciano Benavides was in a tight fight for 2nd overall in the World Championship before a crash at the finale, Rallye du Maroc.

    Fast forward to 2026, and Luciano Benavides delivered a dominant performance at the Dakar Rally, earning the title of 2026 Dakar Champion. The KTM 450 RALLY also impressed in RallyGP, claiming seven stage wins, while the KTM 450 RALLY REPLICA dominated Rally2 with nine stage victories and secured the overall category win. With these results, KTM increased its total Dakar Rally victories to an incredible 21.

    Following the conclusion of the 2026 Dakar Rally, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing now shifts its focus to the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. The championship features five rounds across four continents, with the season running from January 3 to November 27, 2026. Daniel “Chucky” Sanders will aim to defend his title, while reigning FIM W2RC Rally2 World Cup winner Edgar Canet steps up to the RallyGP class. Meanwhile, Luciano “Faster” Benavides sets his sights on claiming his second FIM World Rally-Raid Championship title.

    Daniel Sanders

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    ABOUT DANIEL Daniel “Chucky” Sanders is built for wide-open throttle. When the trail gets long and the speeds go up, he’s in his element—charging harder, pushing farther, and proving exactly what Ready to Race looks like. The Aussie has stacked up serious hardware over his career: two Australian Off-Road Championships, an outright ISDE victory, and three E3 class titles. In 2024, Daniel joined the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally Team and immediately delivered—clinching the Rallye du Maroc. Then came a history-making 2025 season. Chucky stormed to victory at the Dakar Rally, locked down the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, and helped secure the Manufacturer World Title for KTM. Along the way, he rewrote the record books with the most race wins in a season (4/5), the most career stage wins (24), and the most stage wins in a single season (16). Now, eyes forward. The throttle stays pinned as Chucky targets 2026—ready to defend his Dakar crown and his World Rally-Raid title with that signature full-send attitude.

    Luciano Benavides

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    ABOUT LUCIANO Luciano “Faster” Benavides has been charging at the front of the rally world for years, and he’s only getting quicker. He first turned heads with a standout 6th-place finish at the 2020 Dakar Rally—the highest result ever for an Argentinian rider at the time and a major milestone in his young career. Then came 2023, when Faster kicked the door wide open. He delivered a breakout performance by winning Stages 6, 9, and 11—more than any other rider that year—and carried that momentum all the way to becoming the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion. In 2025, he kept the throttle pinned. Two Dakar stage victories and a career-best 4th overall proved he’s firmly among the elite. He was locked in a fight for second in the World Championship before a crash at the Rallye du Maroc cut his season short. Now, eyes forward. In 2026, Luciano “Faster” Benavides is hungry to push past that 4th-place Dakar finish and reclaim his World Rally-Raid crown—charging back into the desert with full commitment and that unmistakable Ready to Race edge.

    Edgar Canet

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    ABOUT EDGAR Edgar Canet, born in La Garriga, Barcelona, is one of the fastest-rising threats in World Rally-Raid. He burst onto the scene with a fierce runner-up finish at the 1,000 Dunes, then backed it up by winning the Oasis Rally—early proof that he was built for the desert. Hungry for bigger battles, Edgar stepped onto the world stage in 2024 with his debut W2RC season. He immediately showed he belonged, grabbing 3rd in the prologue at the Portugal Rally-Raid and locking down 11th overall, including 3rd in Rally2. He matched the result at the Desafío Ruta 40 before unleashing a breakout ride at Rallye du Maroc—finishing 7th overall and 2nd in Rally2 against some of the toughest competition on the planet. Then came a dominant 2025 season. Edgar went on a tear in Rally2, winning four out of five events—including the legendary Dakar Rally—on his way to being crowned the 2025 Rally2 World Cup Champion. Now, in 2026, Edgar is stepping up to the big leagues. With his KTM 450 RALLY beneath him, he’s ready to take on the ultimate test: his debut in the RallyGP class at the Dakar Rally—eyes sharp, throttle open, and fully Ready to Race.

    VIDEO: DAKAR RUNS ORANGE

    Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has etched his name into history by winning the 2026 Dakar Rally, delivering KTM another legendary Dakar victory. Across more than 8,000 unforgiving kilometers, Benavides pushed to the absolute limit, proving unstoppable resilience, precision, and speed aboard the KTM 450 RALLY. It was a fight decided to the final moments, a triumph earned through grit, belief, and the relentless READY TO RACE spirit that defines KTM at Dakar. 

    Dakar is the world’s toughest proving ground, and everything we learn there fuels our production motorcycles. From durability and performance to control at the limit, Dakar-winning technology flows directly from our factory race bikes into every KTM ADVENTURE R machine. This is racing that matters, transforming extreme competition into real-world capability. 

    EXPLORE THE FULL KTM ADVENTURE RANGE HERE

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