Australian motorcycle world champion Toby Price is putting a horror injury behind him as he targets a return to the winner’s podium at the Dakar Rally.
The event, which begins on New Year’s Day, is now held in Saudi Arabia, with Price preparing nearby in the UAE.
He left Australia in August, going between the US, Dubai and Morocco.
“It’s been quite a whirlwind but before we knew it, it’s four months later and Dakar’s around the corner,” he told Wide World of Sports.
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Price, a two-time winner of the event, is back to make amends after a crash in 2021 forced him out of the race, with a podium finish in his sights.
In the ninth stage of the 12-stage race, he crashed, injuring his left arm, shoulder, and breaking his collarbone.
“There’s been a few hurdles but we’ve been able to get over them,” he said of his injuries.
“To win the race, or even finish, it’s a memory that you can hold until your last breath.”
Price’s initial shoulder surgery didn’t fix problems, and six weeks later he re-aggravated the injury during his rehab time, resulting in going under the knife again.
“This time it feels like we’re back on track – it’s just one of those things, injuries come with the sport,” he said.
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“It was a bit of a challenge for the doctor to fix everything up – and I had some other underlying issues with the shoulder from previous injuries, so while we were there we fixed those up as well and I’m back to 100 per cent.”
Rehab is one thing – but after his return event at the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco in October, he got the assurance he needed.
“Until you’re in the thick of it and back out racing you don’t really know, but I got back out there and everything felt comfortable,” he said.
Driving with the Red Bull KTM team, Price’s aim isn’t just to compete, but to succeed.
“The ultimate goal is to win the race, and we sign up to win the race. If that doesn’t happen I’d love to be on the podium again – we’ve been able to get five of those with two wins and three thirds.
“I sign up because I know I can still do it, and we’ll just wait and see what the race brings.”
Many people set endurance-related goals in their lives and treat them as a one-time thing; to climb a mountain, or run a marathon. But Price keeps coming back to Dakar, and other long races, every year.
“I think it’s just the competitive nature to me, and the atmosphere – being a part of Dakar, it’s something where I can leave a legacy and tell a bit of a story,” he said.
“You sign up for a 12-day adventure, and it’s an adventure for sure.”
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