Overall victory for Honda and Kevin Benavides at the Dakar Rally

Kevin Benavides triumphed after 12 grueling stages while teammate Ricky Brabec finished second to give Monster Energy Honda team the overall victory at the Dakar Rally here on Friday.

It was an intense, yet intriguing 202-kilometre special stage, which brought down the curtain on the Dakar Rally on the shores of the Red Sea.

Benavides clinched the 2021 Dakar crown with team-mate Brabec taking the runner-up position.

This was the first title for the Argentinean Monster Energy Honda team rider and, once again, a historic result for Honda, which dominated throughout the 2021 Dakar.

Over 12 tough days, Monster Energy Honda team commanded the rally, accomplishing the final mission for a second successive year, said a release.