Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has delivered a commanding performance in Argentina to claim overall victory at the Desafío Ruta 40, round three of the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Backed by strong rides from Luciano Benavides and Edgar Canet, KTM once again proved the pace and reliability of its KTM 450 RALLY, securing multiple stage wins and podium results across the five-day event.
Based in San Juan, the Desafío Ruta 40 challenged competitors with 2,660 kilometres of racing and liaison sections, including 1,692 kilometres of timed special stages. Featuring everything from fast open tracks and rocky riverbeds to demanding navigation and mountainous terrain, the Argentine event delivered a stern test for both riders and their machines.
After a difficult prologue where navigation mistakes left him seventh, Daniel Sanders immediately bounced back on stage one. Charging through the field, the Australian claimed the stage victory despite having to pass six riders in dusty conditions. In doing so he moved into the overall lead of the rally. He backed that result up with another win on stage two, leading a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing one-two and extending his advantage at the head of the standings.
Sanders continued his exceptional form on stage three, securing his third consecutive stage victory and leading home another KTM one-two result. Although stage four proved more challenging and resulted in a sixth-place finish on the day, Sanders safely managed his advantage in the standings before returning to winning ways on the final stage. With his fourth stage victory of the event, and 32nd career W2RC stage win, Daniel sealed the overall win by more than 12 minutes and moved into the lead of the World Rally-Raid Championship standings, where he now holds a three-point advantage after three rounds.
Daniel Sanders: “It’s been a really good week for us. To come away with another win after Dakar and Portugal is a huge boost, and taking over the championship lead makes it even more rewarding. I felt comfortable on the bike all week and the team did an incredible job. Of course, I always like to look back and find areas where I can improve because there are always things to work on, but overall it’s been a strong performance and a great result heading into the break. We’ll keep working hard and come back ready to fight again in Morocco.”
Competing on home soil, Luciano Benavides enjoyed a strong event despite narrowly missing out on the overall podium. The Argentine delighted local fans by winning the prologue in San Juan and carried that momentum into the first of five stages. A fifth-place finish on stage one left Luciano fifth overall, but consecutive runner-up finishes on stages two and three moved him into podium contention and helped Red Bull KTM Factory Racing secure back-to-back one-two stage results.
Consistently competitive throughout the week, Benavides ultimately finished fourth overall at his home event. While he drops to third in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship standings, he remains firmly in title contention and sits just three points behind second place.
Luciano Benavides: “It’s great to finish my home race and come away with a solid result. Overall, I felt good on the bike all week and the speed was there. I had a small crash on the final stage that made things a little difficult towards the end, but I was able to manage it and get to the finish. Looking back, there were a few small mistakes earlier in the rally that probably cost me a stronger overall result, but I’m happy with my riding and the progress we made throughout the event. The team has done an amazing job, Daniel took the win, and we’re in a really good position moving forward. The championship is still very close, so I’m looking forward to the next challenge.”
Edgar Canet continued to gain valuable experience in his rookie RallyGP campaign. The young Spaniard began strongly with fifth in the prologue and maintained a steady pace throughout the demanding event. Recording consistent top-10 stage results, including seventh-place finishes on stages one, two, three, and five, Edgar successfully navigated the varied terrain and challenging conditions to secure seventh overall. The result keeps him seventh in the championship standings as he continues his development in the premier rally-raid category.
Edgar Canet: “Today was probably the day I enjoyed the most on the bike all week. It’s been a difficult rally for me because I never really found the rhythm I was looking for, but making it to the finish is important and there are a lot of positives to take away from this race. Sometimes these tougher events teach you more than the easy ones, and I know exactly where we can improve before the next round. The feeling with the bike was good, but physically I wasn’t quite at my best this week. Even so, it’s all valuable experience in RallyGP, and I’m leaving Argentina with even more motivation to keep working and come back stronger in Morocco.”
The 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship now enters its summer break before resuming with round four, the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco, from September 26 to October 3.
Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “Daniel showed once again exactly what he is capable of. To win this rally by 12 minutes against such a strong field is an incredible achievement and a real demonstration of his speed, consistency, and experience. He fully deserves to leave Argentina as the championship leader, and his performance throughout the week was outstanding. We’re also very pleased with Luciano and Edgar. Luciano was competitive all week at his home event and remained in the fight right until the end, while Edgar gained more valuable experience in RallyGP and continued to develop throughout the rally. The KTM 450 RALLY performed flawlessly, the whole team worked extremely well together, and it’s another important victory for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Now we can look ahead to Morocco with confidence.”
Provisional Results – 2026 Desafio Ruta 40 (after 5 of 5 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 15:58:04
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 16:10:13 +12:09
3. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 16:16:08 +18:04
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 16:20:42 +22:38
5. Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, 16:23:38 +25:34
Other KTM
7. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 16:41:35 +43:31
Provisional Standings – 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (after round 3)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 67 points
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 64 pts
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 61 pts
4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 54 pts
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 41 pts
Other KTM
7. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 33 pts