The seventh stage of the Dakar Rally 2020 has concluded in Wadi Al-Dawasir with Kevin Benavides taking the top honours.

The very high number of kilometres on the stage seven agenda meant, for many, a day of open throttle. The second week of racing got underway with riders set to tackle the longest special stage of the entire rally (546 kilometres against the clock), from the country’s great metropolis Riyadh, southbound with destination Wadi Al-Dawasir.

The route took in varied terrain types, going from multiple tracks in off-piste plains, requiring maximum concentration, to long stretches of dunes, making up a quarter of the special.

The victory went to Kevin Benavides who headed out firmly intent on moving on from Friday’s bitter pill.