“I need my luck to change”

Toby Price has all the makings of a modern-day warrior. He could easily play a role in any Mad Max, old or new generation. Firstly, because of his looks: long hair down his neck, dusty, unkempt beard. Secondly, because of his agility at the handlebars or behind the wheel of a racing car. He's not the most philosophical of speakers. When interviewed, he talks about himself in the third person, not out of pretension but to include the team accompanying him in his exploits and to talk only about racing, racing, racing. He doesn't like lengthy speeches. During the last Rally of Morocco, he found the solution despite himself. A crash and contact between a tree branch and his throat cut off his voice. Zero communication, but the goal remains unchanged: win a third Dakar, equal Richard Sainct (1999, 2000 and 2003) and overtake Hubert Auriol, Gaston Rahier and Fabrizio Meoni. The Australian is a seasoned competitor who will contest his 10th Dakar in January and has impressed ever since he discovered the rally. In 2015, a young Australian with the build of a centre third row arrived at the rally like a UFO. Toby Price was an unknown quantity on the global scale of the Dakar. He was known for his speed and quickly learned the subtleties of navigation without ever breaking down on his way to an impressive podium finish. A year later, as part of the factory KTM team, Price more than confirmed his status by becoming the first Australian in any category to win the event. His second crown in Lima in 2019 is proof of his courage in the face of hardship, this time due to a bruised wrist, having spent his career visiting numerous hospitals across the globe. Last year, the native of Hilston in New South Wales didn't relinquish first place in the rally until the final day, beaten by teammate Kevin Benavides by just 43 seconds. Second place was also his final position in the last W2RC, beaten this time by Luciano Benavides despite winning the Rally of Morocco. This second position is beginning to irritate him somewhat, especially as Price has never yet triumphed in Saudi Arabia. A third victory could mark a change of direction. The 36-year-old is also enjoying a successful career on four wheels. This year, he won the Finke Desert Race in Australia for the third consecutive time and has set his sights, once again, on the Baja 1000. The transition for the Dakars to come seems to have been made.

“The last Dakar was so close. Kudos to Kevin Benavides, who did a great job. I knew it would be very close. I had to fight hard on every stage. I missed three-way points by a few metres on the last special stage. I lost precious time going backwards. Of course, the goal was to win, and it's so frustrating to lose by such a small margin. But I finished in good shape, without injury, and still came away with a trophy, and that's the most important thing. I'm ready for another edition and look forward to the next Dakar. As far as the Rally of Morocco is concerned, it's like that. I won the rally, but not winning the championship is hard to swallow. That's just the way it is. Congratulations to Luciano (Benavides). We had a great fight, and I did everything I could. I've always given 100%. I only need my luck to change a bit.”