KTM Locks in 2027 Dakar Trio: Benavides, Sanders, and Canet for Africa

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has officially cemented its three-rider factory roster for the 2027 Dakar Rally, locking in a formidable trio of proven rally-raid winners aboard the factory KTM 450 RALLY. Headlining the Austrian squad is reigning 2026 Dakar champion Luciano Benavides, joined by 2025 Dakar winner and 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion Daniel “Chucky” Sanders, alongside breakout Spanish prodigy Edgar Canet. The confirmation solidifies Mattighofen’s factory assault ahead of a landmark edition of the event, as the Dakar Rally returns to Africa for a 7,824 km endurance test running from Portugal into the Sahara dunes of Morocco.

The lineup announcement comes as KTM reorganizes its multi-brand motorsport operations to concentrate its premier rally-raid resources directly under the Red Bull KTM banner. With Honda, Hero, and ambitious privateer efforts like the one detailed when Rieju Enters a 293cc Production Bike in Dakar 2027 preparing for unfamiliar African terrain, KTM is fielding a balance of tactical navigation mastery, unadulterated dune speed, and youth vitality to reclaim consecutive Dakar crowns.

The Factory Trident: Benavides, Sanders, and Canet

The roster brings together three distinct riding philosophies honed across the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). Luciano Benavides spearheads the assault after claiming a historic two-second victory at the 2026 Dakar, cementing his reputation as the paddock’s coolest tactical navigator under pressure. Benavides’ ability to open special stages without forfeiting time on complex CAP compass headings remains KTM’s greatest asset under the latest digital roadbook regulations.

Flanking the Argentine is Australian powerhouse Daniel Sanders. After dominating the 2025 season to claim both the Dakar trophy and the W2RC world title, Sanders proved his grit during Dakar 2026 by riding the final four stages with a fractured collarbone to secure a top-five finish. Fully recovered and entering his competitive prime, Sanders provides raw sand-dune velocity across high-speed desert stages.

Completing the factory trio is 20-year-old Spaniard Edgar Canet, who earns a fully backed factory seat following a sensational season in the Rally2 and RallyGP ranks. Canet stunned the rally-raid establishment by taking a breakthrough stage victory and overall podium contention at the recent Rallye du Maroc, proving that his transition from European junior motocross to open-desert navigation is ahead of schedule.

“Returning to Africa with a marathon route through Portugal and Morocco represents a reset for every competitor. With Luciano’s calculated composure, Daniel’s sheer speed, and Edgar’s fearless progression, we have built a roster capable of winning on rocky European tracks and towering Saharan erg dunes alike.” — Andreas Hölzl, Red Bull KTM Rally Team Manager

The Weapon: Refined 2027 KTM 450 RALLY

All three riders will contest the marathon aboard the latest iteration of the KTM 450 RALLY, which benefits from continuous chassis development derived from the Austrian manufacturer’s off-road racing programs, much like how 2027 KTM Factory Editions Ditch Air Forks for WP Closed Cartridge Springs.

Powered by a specialized 449.9cc liquid-cooled SOHC single-cylinder engine mated to a reinforced Pankl six-speed transmission, the race machine utilizes a proprietary titanium Akrapovič rally exhaust and twin Keihin 44mm fuel injection mapping calibrated for varying fuel densities. The chassis integrates a chrome-moly tubular steel trellis frame bolted to self-supporting polymer rear fuel tanks. Total fuel capacity spans 34.5 liters distributed across dual front pannier tanks and the rear subframe cell, allowing dynamic weight transfer as fuel is consumed during 450 km liaisons.

Suspension is managed by factory-level 48mm WP XACT PRO Cone Valve forks providing 305 mm of wheel travel, paired with a fully adjustable WP XACT PRO Trax rear shock with 300 mm of rear axle movement. Braking hardware features oversized 300mm front Moto-Master floating discs clamped by Brembo billet racing calipers, engineered to haul down a fully fueled 142 kg dry-weight machine from speeds exceeding 165 km/h across rocky riverbeds.

Rider Comparison: Red Bull KTM 2027 Factory Roster

This complementary mix mirrors the multi-tier strategy that made the KTM 690 Rally era so dominant: pairing veteran navigators who minimize roadbook penalties with explosive youngsters capable of setting lightning stage times to build tactical buffer zones.

The Rider’s Trade-Off: Portugal Liaisons vs Saharan Dunes

The defining tactical trade-off of the 2027 route change lies in suspension setup compromise between the opening European stages and the deep North African erg dunes. The marathon departs Portugal over tight, rain-soaked forestry tracks, hard-packed clay trails, and technical rocky mountain paths. A stiff suspension baseline tailored for high-speed Saharan dune compression absorbs punishment over Moroccan camel grass, but it brutally punishes rider forearms and reduces mechanical front-end grip over slick Portuguese tree roots and damp gravel liaisons.

Conversely, softening the high-speed compression valving on the WP Cone Valve forks to maximize mechanical bite through the Iberian Peninsula risks bottoming out the front end when riders hit blind sand washouts at 140 km/h in Morocco. With strict marathon regulations limiting mechanic intervention and component changes, Benavides, Sanders, and Canet will have to compromise between early technical agility and late-stage Saharan survivability.

The African Challenge Ahead

The 2027 Dakar Rally officially kicks off on January 2, 2027, featuring an opening prologue and three technical stages across central and southern Portugal before the entire caravan crosses the Strait of Gibraltar into Tangier. From there, riders will tackle nine grueling stages traversing Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, the rocky Hamada desert, and the towering golden dunes of Merzouga before concluding on the Atlantic coast.

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Official source: https://www.ktm.com/en-nl/racing/rally.html

Reporting via: motocrossplanet.com