Rally Raid
Defending motorcycle champion Toby Price is the man to beat at Dakar 2020
He may have a relatively short Dakar Rally race record, but it's impossible to ignore defending champion Toby Price's sparkling form. Is he the man to beat once again on two wheels in Saudi Arabia?
Compared to the favourites taking on the Dakar Rally 2020 on four wheels, Australia's Toby Price has a relatively short history at the world’s toughest rally: he's only competed five times. Despite that, defending 2019 Bike class champion Price is a hot favourite, having won the event on two occasions.
After only experiencing Dakar in South America, Price is looking to win the worlds toughest rally-raid on a second continent when the Dakar Rally 2020 starts in it's new home, Saudi Arabia on January 5.
Category
Riding for the dominant Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, who've won the last 18 Dakar's, Price will be hopping aboard a race-proven KTM 450 for Dakar 2020.
Race record
If Price's record of two wins out of five at the Dakar wasn't impressive enough, the KTM rider has never actually finished off the podium, excluding when he retired with a broken femur from 2017's race following a crash whilst leading stage four.
With two third places to back-up his two wins, it's clear that Price is made to compete at the Dakar. Add in a successful enduro racing career that stretches back to 2004 and he's definitely the man to beat on two wheels.
Biggest rival
Competing on an identical bike, Matthias Walkner is probably Price's biggest rival. Walkner beat Price to second in 2017, before taking Dakar Rally victory in 2018 and he'll be more than determined to reclaim his title in January. Third Red Bull KTM team-mate Sam Sunderland is the other Dakar rally champion, having won in 2017, and he's going to be a real threat for the win once again, so Price definitely won't have an easy time.
Price is defending champion at the Dakar Rally
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
In his own words
Speaking to Dakar.com before last year’s success, Price explained, "My biggest motivation is simply to get on the bike every morning. I love to ride, even if it is the toughest rally in the world."
Chances of success
Price's record of two victories and two third places makes him impossible to ignore on the list of Dakar 2020 contenders and providing he can get the better of his KTM team-mates, he's in with a great shout at taking a third title.
