Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have announced 2023 Dakar rally Champion Kevin Benavides has broken  his wrist while training in the United States.

The 2023 Dakar Champion, who seems to get no luck with his crashes this season, was riding a test loop with the team on Sunday, July 30, when he crashed off his KTM 450 RALLY bike.

Benavides was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery to repair a broken lunate bone and ligament damage. The team say the surgery went well but that it’s not clear how long the Argentinian will be out of action but that he will miss the upcoming fourth round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship – the Desafio Ruta 40 in his home country of Argentina.

It's a tough blow for the elder Benavides brother who started the 2023 season so strong with the win in Saudi Arabia but then had a similar training crash in February, breaking his leg and missing the following World Rally-Raid Championship rounds.

“This is a terrible set-back 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.” Says Norbert Stadlbauer, the KTM Group Rally Team Manager.

“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 percent behind him and wish him a fast and complete recovery.”

Photo Credit: Marcin Kin