In a surprise move, Australian rally raid star Daniel Sanders has moved to the KTM Factory Rally Team after being the lone rider representing GasGas for much of 2024.
The announcement that Sanders was switching to KTM comes just a week out from the 2024 Rallye du Maroc with the Aussie set to join the KTM team alongside Luciano Benavides who moves over from Husqvarna. Luciano's brother, Kevin Benevides, remains part of the team and continues to recover from injury with the team hoping for his return to competition at the upcoming 2025 Dakar Rally.
For those unfamiliar with the scene, it's important to note that both GasGas and Husqvarna Motorcycles are owned by the KTM Group's parent company Pierer Mobility Group AG.
"It’s been a challenging year for the team, but we have been working hard all season to be ready for the Rallye du Maroc as it is the best preparation for Dakar," explains Rally Team Manager. Andreas Hölzl.
"We are confident in the new team, especially with everyone in orange! Unfortunately, we are still missing Kevin, but with Luciano, last year’s world champion, and Daniel, a super strong desert rider, we believe it will work out well in Morocco. We’re excited to get racing again!"
Action gets underway at the Rallye du Maroc with the prologue on Sunday, October 6, followed by five full stages of racing. Starting in Zagora, riders will navigate through the Moroccan desert for a total of over 2,400 kilometers to the finish in Mengoub on October 11. Delivering a mixture of terrain and technically demanding navigation, it is destined to be an ultra-challenging event and prove excellent preparation for the 2025 Dakar Rally.
Recent testing in the United States and Morocco in preparation for the upcoming races has been extremely positive for the team, with all riders keen to see where they stack up against their rivals after several months out of competition.
With some strong results under his belt earlier in the season, Daniel Sanders is eager to get back in the saddle to take on the Rallye du Maroc. Chucky is fired up after a positive few months of testing with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, and is determined to finish on the podium, as he did in 2021, on his KTM 450 RALLY.
"It’s been a long break since Argentina, and we are super motivated to race the Rallye du Maroc, Sanders says. "It’s been three years since the last time I raced the event, and I managed to get on the podium then, so I’m hoping to do the same again this year. It’s really exciting to be back in the KTM colors and I want to do their hard work justice. It’s great working with the Benavides brothers and I’m sure we’ll be a close-knit team. This rally always serves as great preparation for Dakar as the terrain is so similar. I’m really excited to get back out there and hopefully bring home a trophy!”
Crowned 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion and finishing as runner-up at last year’s edition of the Rallye du Maroc, Luciano Benavides is determined to see more success this year at the iconic event. Despite being sidelined from his home race, the Desafio Ruta 40, earlier this year due to injury, the Argentinian has worked hard over the summer to ensure he is fighting fit and ready for Morocco.
"I’ve worked hard over the past few months preparing for Morocco, and it will be a great opportunity to see where we are after our testing, says Luciano Benavides. "Physically, I feel really good in my recovery, and I have spent a lot of time working on roadbooks with the team in both the USA and Argentina. This is the first time that my brother and I will be on the same team, wearing the same colors, so that is super special. To have Daniel alongside us is great, and I think we’re going to be a really strong team. I am still getting used to the new bike, but I always really enjoy this rally, and I have great memories of it from last year. Bring on Morocco!"
Heading up the new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing line-up will be 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 Argentinian continues to make significant progress in his recovery, but has decided to sit out of the Rallye du Maroc this year in order to focus on the Dakar Rally.
"I feel really positive right now as I’ve spent a lot of time recovering and even though progress is slow, I’m getting closer each day," he said. "It was very tough when I had the crash, but I’m always looking ahead to the future. I can’t wait to get back to racing, rally is my passion, and I just want to be back out there! My goal is to be 100% for Dakar, and until then I will support the team as much as possible while I recover, which is why we decided to sit out of Morocco. To be on a team with Luciano is so special, and Daniel is really great too, so the three of us in orange will be pretty cool!"
The 2024 Rallye du Maroc kicks off with the 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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