Overview
- Benavides won the Wadi ad Dawasir loop (Stage 8, 481 km timed) to take the overall motos lead by 10 seconds over Daniel Sanders, with Ricky Brabec third at 4:47.
- He also captured Stage 7 (459 km timed, Riyadh to Wadi ad Dawasir), slashing his deficit and setting up the decisive leap to the top on Monday.
- Riding first on the road, Benavides banked 7:28 in opening bonuses as navigation proved pivotal across the long, complex special.
- Tosha Schareina lost further ground after navigation troubles and sits fourth overall, about 20 minutes off the lead.
- Kevin Benavides earned his first Challenger (T3) stage victory on Stage 7, making the brothers the first to win Dakar stages on the same day, while the Autos contest remains tight with Nasser Al-Attiyah still leading and Mattias Ekström in close pursuit.