Dakar 2018: Walkner scores KTM's 17th straight win

KTM rider Matthias Walkner has secured victory in the bike category of the 2018 Dakar Rally.

Walkner finished Saturday's 120km final stage 5m38s behind the pace-setting Honda of Kevin Benavides, which was enough for the Austrian to claim a maiden Dakar win for himself and a 17th consecutive triumph for KTM.

Runner-up to teammate Sam Sunderland last year, Walkner won only one stage en route to the overall honours in 2018.

But it was that very stage – the January 16 run from Salta to Belen – that proved crucial to his aspirations.

The Austrian was one of two frontrunners to avoid getting badly lost and losing lots of time on the day, and inherited a huge lead when rival Adrien van Beveren of Yamaha fell and dropped out due to injury.

Walkner managed his advantage from that point onwards and ended the rally 17 minutes clear of Benavides, who topped Saturday's test to record his first and only stage win of the 2018 event.

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Dakar 2016 champion Toby Price was a minute behind Benavides in the stage and completed the podium of the marathon 23 minutes behind fellow KTM rider Walkner.

Their teammate Antoine Meo and privateer Gerard Farres made it four KTM riders in the top five.

Final standings:

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Time/Gap
1	Matthias Walkner	KTM	43h06m01s
2	Kevin Benavides	Honda	16m53s
3	Toby Price	KTM	23m01s
4	Antoine Meo	KTM	47m28s
5	Gerard Farres	KTM	1h01m04s
6	Johnny Aubert	Gas Gas	1h53m53s
7	Oriol Mena	Hero	2h22m52s
8	Pablo Quintanilla	Husqvarna	2h24m05s
9	Dani Oliveras	KTM	2h37m20s
10	Jose Ignacio Cornejo	Honda	2h42m36s