Luciano Benavides has been forced out of the Desafio Ruta 40 after a crash on stage one resulted in a fracture to the top of his right femur.
Following a strong start on the timed special, the Husqvarna Factory Racing rally star fell and was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in nearby Cordoba.
As runner-up at last year’s Desafio Ruta 40, Luciano headed to the 2024 event with high hopes of going one better on home soil. Frustratingly, the crash, which happened 258 kilometres into the special, and the resultant fracture, have ruled the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion out of contesting the remaining days of the race.
After his initial checks and diagnosis, the 28-year-old was transferred to a hospital in Salta for further evaluation.
Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager, explained, “Luciano was having a really good start to the rally until his unfortunate crash. When he arrived at the hospital he was diagnosed with a small fracture to the head of his femur. Further checks are due to take place today to decide if surgery is required. Of course, we are really sorry that this has happened and it’s disappointing, especially as it was Luciano’s home race, but now we will focus on making sure he has a full recovery before he returns to racing.”
