Daniel Sanders and KTM win 2024 Rallye du Maroc
Words and images courtesy KTM Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has won the 2024 Rallye du Maroc. At the end of what has been a hugely successful event for the team with both riders on the podium, Sanders opened much of today’s stage five to ultimately secure the overall rally victory by just over 11 minutes. Luciano Benavides delivered a strong ride to place eighth-fastest over today’s 273-kilometer special to claim an impressive third place overall.
STAGE 1
With flooding affecting the area between Marrakech and Zagora following Sunday’s prologue, organizers of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc decided to bring Tuesday’s route forward to today, Monday, in order to ensure the safe passage of all competitors. As such, riders enjoyed a later start today, entering the 180-kilometer special at just after 10am to take on what still proved to be a significant test of navigation skill for all.
Sanders got his Rallye du Maroc off to a strong start, placing third-quickest on the event’s short qualifying prologue. Maintaining his momentum, he was fast straight out of the gate today on his KTM 450 RALLY, clocking in second at the first checkpoint of stage one at kilometer 42. The Australian then increased his pace to take the lead on time for the next 100 kilometers, navigating without error through the washed-out riverbeds and rocky tracks of the special.
As the terrain of the stage changed to dunes in the second half of the special, Sanders came into his own, making excellent time across the sand. A small error cost ‘Chucky’ dearly however, losing him close to two minutes to his rivals. Regrouping and pushing hard for the finish, Daniel was able to cross the line in second for the day.
Sanders said: “Day one at Morocco is done! It was good to get the prologue out of the way yesterday – that helped us settle back in to racing and gave me a good start position for today. Stage one started with a load of riverbeds and stony terrain, so it was a really good test of the bike and the improvements we’ve made over the last few months. I made a couple of mistakes early on, but then quite a big one at around kilometer 140, which cost me a couple of minutes, unfortunately. It’s frustrating as it spoiled all the hard work, I had put in leading up to that point, really. Other than that, I felt good, and the speed is definitely there – we’ll see how we get on tomorrow.”
Benavides was the seventh rider to enter today’s timed special, following his result from Sunday’s opening prologue. After taking time to settle into a good rhythm, it wasn’t long before the 29-year-old began to up his speed and push hard to make up ground on his rivals ahead. A small mistake in the first 40 kilometers cost the Argentine a little time, but the reigning World Rally-Raid Champion got his head down and soon began to eat into their advantage.
At the midway point of the special, Luciano placed fifth on the time sheets and, after navigating well through the dunes encountered in the latter half of the stage, was able to move up another place to ultimately claim fourth at the finish.
Luciano Benavides said: “I’m super happy with how stage one has gone here in Morocco. Although it’s not the best result, it’s been a good stage in terms of finding my rhythm after coming back to racing after my injury. At the beginning of the stage, I didn’t feel too comfortable, especially in the super-tricky riverbeds – they were really stony, and I didn’t want to risk too much so early in the rally. I made a small navigation mistake there too, but after that, I was able to settle into a good pace and make up some good time. I felt really good in the dunes and was able to push more and more as the stage went on. I know it’s just the beginning, but so far, I feel really confident and I’m looking forward to the rest of the race.”
Provisional Results – 2024 Rallye du Maroc, Stage 1
1. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 2:16:57
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 2:17:45 +0:48
3. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 2:18:45 +1:48
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 2:23:12 +6:15
5. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 2:24:15 +7:18
Provisional Standings – 2024 Rallye du Maroc (after 1 of 5 stages)
1. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 2:34:09
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 2:34:57 +0:48
3. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 2:35:39 +1:30
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 2:40:54 +6:45
5. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 2:41:40 +7:31
STAGE 2
Full of confidence and carrying his speed from Monday, Sanders was the second rider to enter today’s 272-kilometer timed special. Unfazed by the alterations to the stage, implemented due to the rain seen in the region over the past few weeks, Daniel once again delivered a fast yet calculated ride over the mixed terrain of the special.
Making his way to the front of the field by the checkpoint at kilometer 43, Sanders began to clock up the bonus time awarded to the rider opening the stage. In total, he would be awarded one minute and 34 seconds for his hard work – enough to secure the Australian third place on the stage. Daniel’s consistency is paying off – with two stages now complete, he lies second overall, less than one minute from the lead, and will have the advantage of chasing down the rally leader on Wednesday’s stage three.
“Stage two was a very long one – it was originally stage one but they were reversed due to the rain the other day,” said Sanders. I started off second and then caught Ross (Branch) about 20 kilometers in. I opened from there till the refueling at kilometer 210, so that meant navigating on my own all the way through the dunes, which went pretty well, actually. Then Tosha (Schareina) caught me at the refueling and after that, I eased off just a little to make sure I didn’t have to open tomorrow. On the whole, the stage went well – got a few changes to make to the bike, and it’s going to be another long day tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Adapting well to his updated KTM 450 RALLY, Benavides delivered another consistent day of rally racing on stage two in Morocco. With so much of the route through today’s special damaged due to recent weather, especially in the rougher riverbeds and tracks, Luciano took extra care to concentrate on his road book and avoid making any mistakes. His attention to detail paid off. Securing fifth on today’s stage, the Argentinian moves up to third overall in the provisional rally standings.
Benavides commented: “I’ve had a good day here in Morocco – I finished fifth today on what was a really tough stage. The terrain was really broken with a lot of hidden dangers, so I just tried to stay safe over the stage and focus on my navigation. I think my pace and my rhythm are steadily getting closer to the front guys. Today was better than yesterday and I hope we can continue to build and improve as the rally goes on. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.”
Provisional Results – 2024 Rallye du Maroc, Stage 2
1. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 3:23:44
2. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 3:25:03 +1:19
3. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 3:25:08 +1:24
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 3:26:06 +2:22
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:26:22 +2:38
Provisional Standings – 2024 Rallye du Maroc (after 2 of 5 stages)
1. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 5:59:23
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 6:00:05 +0:42
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 6:07:16 +7:53
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 6:07:46 +8:23
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 6:10:05 +10:42
STAGE 3
Following his two top-three results on this year’s Rallye du Maroc, Sanders claimed his first stage win of the event today with a strong ride that saw him move into the lead of the rally with two stages remaining. As the third rider into the special, Daniel had two targets ahead of him in the form of Tosha Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren, both of whom he caught by kilometer 104.
Having made up good time on his rivals over the first half of the special, Sanders maintained a solid but safe pace over the second half, which consisted primarily of washed-out riverbeds and fast, rocky tracks. Making little in the way of errors over the long stage, and despite not earning any bonus time, ‘Chucky’ brought his KTM 450 RALLY safely home as fastest on the special. After well over nine hours of racing against the clock, Sanders holds a one-minute-and-30-second advantage at the front of the field.
Sanders said: “That’s stage three done! Another very long day on the bike with over 200 kilometers done in the morning and then well over 300 kilometers of special. It’s been super-hot, very dusty, and very demanding. I felt really good today and got off to a strong start. I caught the two guys ahead by the neutralization then pushed through the dust a little bit and got into the dunes. One of the guys ahead made a little mistake, but it meant it was difficult to get out front and collect any time bonus, so as the terrain turned a little rockier, I just played it smart and made sure I brought the bike home safely. We have a new area to race tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Maintaining a strong pace over the varied terrain of stage three, Benavides set off fifth into today’s 327-kilometer special and held that position to the finish. Continuing to work on setting up his KTM 450 RALLY, Luciano lies fourth overall in the provisional rally standings and is focused on making the best use of his seat time on the bike in race conditions to build his confidence and speed ahead of the upcoming Dakar Rally next January.
Benavides said: “It feels good to get stage three done – it was a really long stage and quite tough, similar to a Dakar stage. There were a lot of broken pistes and rocky tracks, and I found it tricky to settle into a good rhythm. The pace isn’t quite there yet, but we’ll keep on working on some things and improve the set-up as the rally goes on.”
Provisional Results – 2024 Rallye du Maroc, Stage 3
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 3:27:03
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 3:29:20 +2:17
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 3:31:24 +4:21
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 3:35:52 +8:49
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:36:04 +9:01
Provisional Standings – 2024 Rallye du Maroc (after 3 of 5 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 9:27:08
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 9:28:43 +1:35
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 9:41:29 +14:21
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 9:43:20 +16:12
5. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 9:43:38 +16:30
STAGE 4
Following the issuing of penalties after Wednesday’s stage three, Sanders’ overall lead in the rally increased to over 11 minutes. Due to his stage win yesterday, the Australian set off first into today’s special, eager to maintain that advantage, and by navigating his way cleanly through the stage, the KTM 450 RALLY racer did exactly that.
Despite a hard charge by rival Tosha Schareina throughout the stage, Sanders kept his cool under pressure to not only open the entire stage but to ultimately top the timesheets by an impressive five minutes and 31 seconds once the bonus time for leading out was awarded. In extending his overall rally lead, ‘Chucky’ heads into Friday’s stage five with an advantage of 21 minutes and 44 seconds.
It’s been a pretty good day for me,” said Sanders. “It was very, very long with a lot of navigation. It was a new area here that we’ve never been to before in the race, so it was really cool to ride with some good tracks and good riding. I just focused on my navigation today and put that first over out-and-out speed. I pretty much nailed most things – I made a couple of little mistakes, but I was able to fix those pretty quick and keep up a good rhythm all day. With a lot of the other guys getting lost today, I was able to open up the lead a bit more, so with one more day to go, I’m feeling good and looking forward to the finish.”
Continuing to improve as the event goes on, Benavides delivered another strong ride on today’s special to secure third place for the stage, and in turn, moved himself up to third in the provisional overall standings. Aiming to complete the rally on a high, Luciano will be looking to chase down the two riders ahead of him on tomorrow’s stage five and finish the event on the podium.
He said: “It was a good stage today for me. The navigation was really tough; Daniel did an amazing job, so he got the win. For me, I’m pleased with how I rode – a few mistakes with the navigation, but they didn’t cost me too much time. We’re still working on making some set-up changes to the bike, and that it definitely going well. Right now, Daniel and I are both in the top three, and tomorrow is my last day wearing the number one this year, so I’ll try and enjoy it tomorrow and hopefully, we can finish the rally with both riders on the podium.”
Provisional Results – 2024 Rallye du Maroc, Stage 4
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 3:34:17
2. Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Hero, 3:39:48 +5:31
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:42:28 +8:11
4. Harith Noah (IND), Sherco, 3:43:17 +9:00
5. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 3:44:35 +10:18
Provisional Standings – 2024 Rallye du Maroc (after 4 of 5 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 13:01:25
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 13:23:09 +21:44
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 13:25:48 +24:23
4. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 13:33:26 +32:01
5. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 13:47:18 +45:53
STAGE 5
Following his two consecutive stage wins on Wednesday and Thursday, Sanders once again had the unenviable task of opening today’s stage five. A small mistake near the beginning of the special cost the Australian several minutes, but he was able to get back on track and continue to lead out the stage.
Maintaining a solid but steady pace over the mixed terrain of the Moroccan desert, Daniel was eventually caught by teammate Benavides and race rival Tosha Schareina, with the three then riding together through the final half of the stage. Bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home safely in 13th place, ‘Chucky’ secured the rally win – the second of his career – and now looks to carry that winning momentum into the 2025 Dakar Rally next January.
Sanders said: “I’m so pleased with how the whole rally has gone, especially taking the win of course. But it’s definitely a massive accomplishment for myself and the whole team since Dakar and the last race in Argentina – it really demonstrates the hard work everyone has put in over these last few months. I’m happy to be back on the top step, it’s been a year and a half since I broke my femur, so I’m super-pumped to be back on form and showing some good speed ahead of Dakar.”
The third rider into today’s special, Benavides also lost a little time early on, but soon regrouped and got his head down to close in on the riders ahead of him. Increasing his pace until he caught teammate Sanders just after the checkpoint at kilometer 116, the Argentinian assisted in opening the stage from there to the finish. In completing day five as eighth-fastest, Luciano secured his third-place podium result in the rally – an excellent achievement in his first race after returning to the KTM squad.
Benavides said: “I think it has been the toughest of the rally so far. Navigation was super tricky with many washed out riverbeds and tracks. I caught Daniel after kilometer 100 and continued with him opening the stage to the finish. I felt a lot more comfortable than yesterday, so the work we are doing here is really paying off. I’m really happy with how things have gone here on our first race for a long while, and to finish on the podium feels great. We still have some work to do ahead of Dakar, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing now look ahead to the 2025 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. The iconic event runs from January 3-17.
Provisional Results – 2024 Rallye du Maroc, Stage 5
1. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 2:33:04
2. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 2:33:56 +0:52
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 2:34:31 +1:27
4. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 2:34:53 +1:49
5. Harith Noah (IND), Sherco, 2:39:13 +6:09
Other KTM
8. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 2:40:21 +7:29
13. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 2:43:29 10:37
Provisional Standings – 2024 Rallye du Maroc (after 5 of 5 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 15:45:06
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 15:56:13 +11:07
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 16:06:09 +21:03
4. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 16:07:57 +22:51
5. Bradley Cox (ZAF), KTM, 16:30:11 +45:05