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Red Bull KTM Readies Full Dakar 2022 Lineup of Machines and Riders

On January 1, the 2022 edition of the Dakar Rally kicks off in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, sending an entire army of motorized contraptions on two or four wheels on an 8,000-km (4,970 miles) journey across the desert.
Red Bull KTM Dakar team 10 photos
Photo: KTM
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By now, most of the teams taking part have shown the vehicles and people they’re sending into the battle, but there are some that like to get late to this party. Like, say, the Austrians from KTM, who only just now pulled the wraps off the entire unit they’ll be sending to the race.

Red Bull KTM by its full name, the team will field the KTM 450 Rally and riders Matthias Walkner, Toby Price, Kevin Benavides, and Danilo Petrucci. All are seasoned veterans of racing on two wheels and will be traveling to Saudi Arabia with high hopes.

Of the three, Benavides will make his Dakar debut for the team, as will Petrucci. Walkner is making a comeback, and Price, who has been on the starting grid of last year’s event, hopes for better in 2022 after having to drop out as a result of crashing the last time around.

The team will be headed by Norbert Stadlbauer, who will be going to the Dakar race for the first time as team manager. “It’s a hugely important race for KTM, and the whole team have put in a massive effort for this main event, with their training, preparation, and with the new bike,” the official said.

The 2022 Dakar race comprises 12 legs, spread over a period of two weeks. Each leg asks from man and machine to cover hundreds of miles in the harsh, desert conditions. The course, start-to-finish, goes around the country, starting in Ha’il, then making twists and turns until coming to a halt in Jeddah in mid-January.

The race will be streaming on Fox Sports and Red Bull TV, but availability can vary depending on your location.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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