DIRT NEWS

Championship ’ s Benevides brothers looks set to fall in favour of the younger of the two riders , as older brother Kevin Benevides has been sidelined with an injury to his wrist . KTM Factory Racing confirmed that Kevin Benevides will not take part in his home rally , the upcoming Argentinian round of the FIM World Rally Raid Championship , after sustaining an injury to his wrist that required rectifying surgery . As a result , Benavides was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery to repair the broken lunate bone as well as ligament damage in his wrist . While the surgery went well , it ’ s not yet clear how long the Argentinian will be out of action . That means he will miss the upcoming fourth round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship – the Desafio Ruta 40 – in Argentina . KTM ’ s Rally Team Manager , Norbert Stadlbauer , describes the injury to Benevides as a terrible setback for the former Dakar champ who currently sits just outside the championship podium . “ This is a terrible setback for both Kevin and the whole team , especially coming so soon after he worked incredibly hard to return to full fitness after breaking his femur back in February , Stadlbauer said . “ Thankfully , it looks like the surgery to his wrist went well and Kevin is already on the road to recovery . Although , like with any injury , it ’ s difficult to predict when we ’ ll see Kevin back aboard his KTM 450 RALLY , the team are of course 100 per cent behind him and wish him a fast and complete recovery .” The FIM World Rally Raid Championship only has two rounds left in the season . The Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina and the Rally Du Maroc in Morocco . KTM ’ s Toby Price currently leads the championship with 62 points , followed by Kevin Benevides ’ younger brother Luciano Benevides ( Husqvarna ) with 55 points and Honda ’ s Adrien Van Beveren with 53 .

18 KIWI RIDER