KTM’s MEO Claims Dakar Rally Stage 6; Honda’s Benavides in Overall Lead (Video)

2018 Dakar Rally Stage 6 Results, Motorcycle: Video Recap

The 2018 Dakar Rally wrapped up the first six-days of racing Thursday with a shortened stage 6. Friday is the only rest day in the 40th edition of 2018 Dakar Rally before eight-consecutive stages that will combine to make about 3,300 miles.

The 195-mile stage 6 special began on the shores of Lake Titicaca, about a third of it shortened due to unsafe conditions, and finished in Peru’s capital of Bolivia. Conditions were muddy, and snow covered the highest points of Lake Titicaca, which at 4,000 meters is the highest lake above sea level.

A new stage winner emerged Thursday when Red Bull KTM 450 Rally pilot Antoine Meo claimed the victory. The 33-year-old Frenchman finished a mere 30 seconds ahead of both Monster Energy Honda’s Kevin Benavides and Red Bull KTM’s Toby Price.

After the win, Meo said: Today was a good day. I am so happy to take my first win of this year’s event – it feels great. The stage was very long and it was so cold out there. I had a great battle with Toby for the whole stage but as we neared the finish, the last 10km got really muddy and very slippery so I knew I had a chance to make up some good time. I took the risk, pushed on really hard and managed to beat him. Tomorrow we have a rest day, which will be nice and then it’s onto the second half of the rally.”

With his second-place finish, Benavides bumped Yamaha’s Adrien Van Beveren – who took over after stage 5 – from the top of the standings. Benavides now has a 1:57-minute lead over Van Beveren. In third, 3:50 minutes behind, is the other factory KTM pilot, Matthias Walkner.

“I am very proud because it is the first time that an Argentine rider has led the Dakar Rally,” Benavides says. “I’m very happy too, because the idea was to get as high up the rankings as possible before the rest stage, so I can not be happier. I’m a little tired, we’ve had rain, mud, fast roads. But I was fast and felt comfortable on the bike. Now we have a day to rest and prepare the second week.”

As for the notable Americans, Monster Energy Honda’s Ricky Brabec is 11th overall, and Rockstar Husqvarna’s Andrew Short, a former Supercross competitor, is 22nd.

During Friday’s much-needed rest day in La Paz, Bolivia, riders will be able to familiarize themselves to the extreme altitude of the Bolivian Altiplano – the city of La Paz itself sits at 3,640 meters above sea-level. Racing will resume on Saturday with the 452-mile stage seven, La Paz to Uyuni, the first of the two marathon stages for the bikes.

2018 Dakar Rally Stage 6 Results, Motorcycles