Australia’s Toby Price wins second Dakar title despite wrist injury

Toby Price had to weather pain that “feels like there are about five people driving a knife in my wrist” en route to clinching his second Dakar Rally motorcycle title.

Toby Price (left) celebrates with Ktm's Austrian biker Matthias Walkner after winning the Dakar Rally 2019. Picture: AFP

Australian Toby Price has won his second Dakar Rally motorcycle title, while Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah claiming his third title in the main car category.

Price broke the scaphoid bone in his right wrist weeks before the race and thought he would endure two stages then pull out, but support and luck kept him going in Peru.

He came to the 10th and last stage after racing almost 5200km with only one minute’s lead over rival Pablo Quintanilla.

Then just 10km into the dune-heavy, 112km course from Pisco to Lima, the Chilean rider fell off his bike and injured his foot.

After Quintanilla crashed, the 2016 champion went for broke to take the overall lead.

“The pain and torture has been worth it,” Price said.

“(The pain) feels like there are about five people driving a knife in my wrist. It’s not very comfortable, it’s not very enjoyable.

“It’s very crazy to sit here and say that we won the Dakar Rally with no stage victories until today. It’s really crazy. I’m over the moon.”

Toby Price (left) celebrates with KTM's Austrian biker Matthias Walkner after winning the Dakar Rally 2019. Picture: AFP

It is Price’s second title and he also finished third in 2015 and 2018. With Quintanilla’s chances of winning a maiden Dakar title evaporating instantly, the Chilean got back on his Husqvarna to try and save a podium place. But he lost 19 minutes though and dropped to fourth overall. Spainiard Nani Roma, who won two motorbike titles before switching to four wheels in 2005, was second after a busier-than-usual year of rallying to rebound from crashing out early in the Dakar last year.

Sebastien Loeb, who was in title contention until electrical problems on Monday, was third at his fourth Dakar.

Toby Price has clinched his second Dakar Rally title. Picture: Getty Images

Meanwhile, in the main car category Al-Attiyah could sit back and play it safe thanks to a 51-minute overall lead.

He let others race for the stage win, which went to Carlos Sainz, last year’s champion.

Al-Attiyah rolled in nine minutes later in his Toyota, and finished 46 minutes ahead of Nani Roma, the 2014 champion.

Runner-up to Sainz last year, Al-Attiyah regained the title he earned in 2011 and 2015, when the Qatari also won with French co-driver Mathieu Baumel. “It’s fantastic, no mistakes,” Al-Attiyah said.

“The good thing was that from day three we were leading and we built on our time every day until we came to the last day with a big, big lead. We felt that a 100 per cent Peru rally, with no other country, there would be a lot of sand dunes, so we could do what we know we’re good at.” Russian Eduard Nikolaev secured his third successive Dakar title, and fourth in total, in the truck category with Kamaz.

Originally published as Australia’s Toby Price wins second Dakar title despite wrist injury