Tag Archives: Toby Price

Honda take top 4 in Dakar day 3

January 7, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Honda has stamped its authority on the 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia by dominating the top four overall positions after day three and the second day of the super marathon.

Meanwhile, Aussie two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price was running in the top four when he and Frenchman Xavier de Soultrait veered 900m off the track.

He lost valuable time trying to navigate his way back on track. There was also controversy when a waypoint wasn’t where it was indicated on the road book.

Toby remains in ninth place, biding his time for an attack in the second week of the gruelling event.

The Monster Energy Team took five of the top five slots for the 504km stage led by American Ricky Brabec (top photo), while Tony came in 35 minutes later in 11th.

He is 38 minutes from Brabec in overall timing in his fight to defend his title and pick up a 19th consecutive Dakar win for KTM.

The two-day super marathon stage is a field leveller as riders have to do their own work on bikes and even teammates can’t help.

Toby Price Dakar Rally super marathon stage — Toby works on his bike

Top 10 outright rankings

POS.	N°	MARK-MODEL	TIME	VARIATION	PENALTY
1	9	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	11H 17′ 56”
2	17	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	11H 32′ 58”	+ 00H 15′ 02”	00H 01′ 00”
3	12	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	11H 33′ 10”	+ 00H 15′ 14”
4	7	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 2020	11H 34′ 08”	+ 00H 16′ 12”
5	2	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	11H 35′ 52”	+ 00H 17′ 56”
6	16	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	11H 37′ 40”	+ 00H 19′ 44”
7	5	ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING	11H 39′ 21”	+ 00H 21′ 25”
8	3	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	11H 52′ 34”	+ 00H 34′ 38”
9	1	RED BULL KTM FACTORY TEAM	11H 56′ 19”	+ 00H 38′ 23”	00H 02′ 00”
10	10	MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA RALLY TEAM	12H 11′ 56”	+ 00H 54′ 00”

Other Aussies

The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category have not yet finished.

They are Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) who was 17th outright, Ben Young (KTM, 92nd) and Matthew Tisdall (Duust, 131).

Tomorrow’s 453km special stage is equal parts stony and sandy.

For the first time the Dakar rally is being run in the one country, Saudi Arabia, after being run in 35 countries on three continents since 1978.

Toby aids firefighters

Like many Aussie sports stars and celebrities, Toby (right) is raising money for the bushfire appeal.

He is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters

Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.

It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.

Current highest bid is still $13,001.

Auction closes on 18 January at 5pm (AEST).

If you can’t bid, please donate on this link.

Meanwhile, Aussie MotoGP racer Jack Miller is also putting his 2018 MotoGP helmet up for auction to raise money for the bushfire crisis.

The auction is open worldwide until Friday at 5pm (AEST).

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Toby Price 9th after super marathon

January 6, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Tough navigation, rocky terrain and a super marathon second stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia dropped two-time winner and current title holder Toby Price down the order.

He finished 15th on the day and is now ninth overall, but still happy with his performance.

Super marathon

A super marathon stage lasts two days and all riders have to work on their own vehicle without any assistance, putting team riders such as Toby from the Red Bull KTM team on the same level as the privateers.

“Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from.

“With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors.”

Navigation was made more difficult because Toby started first after winning the first stage of the rally.

“Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me,” e says.

“I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today.”

Toby usually reserves his efforts in the first week to attack in the second week, like his come-from-behind win last year.

He is conserving his KTM for today’s 504km second stage of the super marathon.

Stage winner

The 367km special stage of largely rock and sand was won by Bostwanan Ross Branch who finished 13th last year on his first attempt.

It was the KTM rider’s first stage win and he now sits at the top of the standings.

He was followed by Toby’s teammate and 2018 winner Sam Sunderland (ourtight 2nd) of the UK with Portuguese rider Pablo Quintanilla (Husaqvarna) third and Argentinian Kevin Benavides (Honda) fourth.

KTM is gunning for its 19th consecutive win.

Sam Sunderland (UK) marathon — Sam Sunderland (UK)

Aussie competitors

The three other Aussies in the motorcycle category performed well in stage two.

Queensland veteran competitor Rodney Faggotter finished just two spots behind Toby in 17th and is 17th outright for the stage.

He said the rocky terrain was difficult and said he was grateful for his Shock Treatment suspension on his Yamaha and Citi knee braces.

Ben Young (KTM) finished 93rd and is 92nd in the outright rankings while Matthew Tisdall finished 132nd and is 131st outright.

Ben Young Toby Price Dakar Rally super marathon stage — Ben Young

For the first time the Dakar rally is being run in the one country, Saudi Arabia, after being run in 35 countries on three continents since 1978.

Toby aids firefighters

Toby (right) is auctioning his starting jersey and pants for firefighters

Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.

It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.

Current highest bid is still $13,001.

Auction closes on 18 January at 5pm (AEST).

If you can’t bid, please donate on this link.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Ross Branch wins Stage Two as Sunderland claims lead | Dakar 2020

January 6, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Toby Price may have won Stage 1 even after a two-minute penalty, but it was Ross Branch who put in the fastest time on Stage 2, becoming the first rider from Botswana to take top honours with a Dakar stage win.

Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally also presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the 367-kilometre timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.

Starting the day from fourteenth, Branch took advantage of the tracks opened by other riders, to ride his own race, with navigation also proving a strong point.

Ross Branch

“Today was really good and I had a lot of fun on the bike. Starting fourteenth this morning helped a lot because there were some tracks that opened the road. I had a lot of fun and tried to ride my own race. I navigated well today which was really good for me and I think it helped a lot. Then I just took it easy…”

Stage 2 runner-up was Sam Sunderland, proving consistency is key and sitting 1min-24s off Branch’s winning time of 3:39’10”. That was enough to claim the overall lead, by 1min-32s from Pablo Quintanilla.

sam sunderland Dakar stage — Sam Sunderland – Image by Rally Zone

Quintanilla improved on his Stage 1 result of sixth to claim the final place in the top three on day two, which also earnt him runner-up position in the combined standings.

Rounding out the top five for the day were Kevin Benavides and Luciano Benavides, just 3min-40s and 3min-44s off stage-winning pace respectively.

luciano benavides Dakar stage — Luciano Benavides – Image by Rally Zone

Toby Price had to settle for 15th for the day on board his Red Bull KTM Factory Team machine after tackling the challenge of starting first, but held onto a top-ten position in the overall standings in ninth – 7min-34s off Sunderland’s leading pace.

Toby Price

“A very challenging day with our first Super Marathon stage complete, it is all new for everyone and doesn’t really allow us much time to work on the bikes which made things interesting. Navigation today was really difficult and the conditions were tricky with so many lines to choose from! With such heavy navigation, it leaves you feeling like you’re gambling with your decisions all day, but it makes it interesting for all competitors. Starting first is always going to be a disadvantage and today was a day I knew the rest of the field would make time on me, I don’t plan on starting first too many more times after my efforts today but I’m feeling good, the bike is in good shape for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to Stage 3!”

Fellow Australian Rodney Faggotter proved consistent, following up his Stage 1 19th placing, with a strong 16th in Stage 2, claiming 17th overall.

Rodney Faggotter

“17th quickest today. Saw a couple crashed riders today and some other riders that had started in front of me were with them – so I will possibly slip down from 17th position depending on what time they are given nack for stopping – but all good! Solid day. Had dust for about 200klms then led out in front of my group which means a lot of navigation but no dust! The riding here is so diverse and so far.. fun!”

Dakar 2020 Results

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, News

Toby Price comes out fighting

January 5, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

Aussie two-time Dakar Rally winner and current title holder Toby Price has come out fighting from day one with a resounding win and two-minute lead in the first stage.

The KTM Red Bull number one rider usually plays safe in the first week of the Dakar Rally, attacking later in the rally as he did last year wth his come-from-behind victory.

The fighting Aussie was two minutes and five seconds ahead of American Ricky Brabec (Honda) followed by KTM teammate Matthias Walkner, despite problems with his road book.

Toby Price fighting in Dakar Rally — Toby races across the desert

“My road book walked out on me after 15-odd kilometres, so it was strange,” Toby says.

“I was quite lucky in one way because I managed to follow on some dust and just keep up with the guys. Once the road book is gone, then you’re pretty much driving blind.

“At the moment it looks good on paper, but I think we have a bit of a penalty coming.”

Indeed, he did cop a two-minute penalty but is still five seconds in front.

“It’s not the greatest start, but it’s still a long rally to go,” Toby says.

“We’re in good shape, we feel good on the bike and we’re happy.”

Veteran Queensland competitor Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha) is in 25th position with fellow Aussies Ben Young (Duust) in 92nd and Matthew Tisdall (KTM) 129th.

The route left the capital of Jeddah for a 433 liaison and a 345km special stage along the coastline through mainly sandy terrain with some rocky sections toward the end.

Yesterday’s highlights will be screened on SBS TV tonight at 6pm (check local guides).

We will publish daily updates each morning until the rally ends on January 17.

Toby aids firefighters

Toby is also doing his bit for the current critical bushfire situation by auctioning his starting jersey and pants with proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.

It is open worldwide, just send in your bid in Australian dollars on his Facebook page or Instagram.

Current highest bid is $13,001.

Auction closes on 18 January at 5pm (AEST).

If you can’t bid, please donate on this link.

2020 Dakar

For the first time, the Dakar Rally is being held in just one country, Saudi Arabia.

It began in 1978 passing through several countries from Paris to Dakar in Senegal.

In 2008 the rally was cancelled due to terrorist threats in Mauritania and resumed the following year in South America but kept the name as it retained the “Dakar spirit”.

That should mean it is a challenging rally with lots of different climates, terrain and navigational challenges.

So far the terrain just looks sandy.

However, they have made the navigation tougher, so the race won’t be just about flat-out speed, but navigational skill.

As for the usual travelogue of beautiful scenery, it seems it is now just sand, sand and more sand.

Dakar organiser ASO last year signed a controversial five-year deal with the tainted nation criticised for human rights violations including the murder of American newspaper reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

The Muslim nation also has a poor record on its treatment of women which could have been an issue with the rally organisers as many women now compete.

However, in 2018 Saudi women were finally permitted to ride motorcycle and drive trucks.

The organisers say other Middle East nations may be added in future years.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Toby Price defends title in Saudi Arabia

January 3, 2020 mcnews Leave a comment

The Dakar Rally has controversially shifted to Saudi Arabia this year where Aussie Toby Price will defend his title in the mainly favourable sandy conditions.

“Shakedowns are complete, bike is great thanks to my mechanic Joe,” Toby says on his Facebook page. Leave a word of encouragement on his page!

Toby Price Saudi Arabia Dakar Rally — Toby in Saudi shakedown (sheik-down?)

We wish Toby the best of luck when he kick-starts his title defence tomorrow (5 January 2020) and will be watching on SBS every evening for the daily updates (check local times).

Because of the time difference, SBS will show the day’s highlights more than 24 hours later. That means the Sunday start will screen on Monday night.

However, Motorbike Writer will supply daily updates every morning on Toby and the other Aussie competitors.

Dakar spirit?

Toby Price Dakar Rally shattered — Toby in 2018

However, a lot of the interest in the Dakar Rally over the years has been the travelogue as the riders pass through different countries, amazing scenery and a wide variety of conditions.

The Paris-Dakar Rally started in 1978 and in the early days, they had rainy and muddy conditions in Europe before heading into north-west Africa, through dunes and harsh country, finishing at Dakar, Senegal.

In 2008, the event was cancelled because of terrorist threats in Muslim Mauritania.

The following year it reconvened in South America where it has passed through five different countries and a variety of conditions.

Despite the change of location to just one country, Saudi Arabia, the organisers said it still retain the “Dakar tradition”, so the name remained.

We hope so, but it’s hardly a Dakar tradition anymore with Saudi money stealing it from South America.

Saudi Arabia Dakar 2020

New rules have been added to make it fairer for small teams and individuals to compete with the big teams, like Toby’s Red Bull KTM which is gunning for its 19th consecutive win.

One change is that all competitors receive their road books at the same time and they will be more complex to test the riders’ navigational skills.

There are 158 riders competing this year in Saudi Arabia.

Rodney Faggotter Dakar Rally - glimmer of hope congratulations rookies — Rodney Faggotter

They include Aussies Toby (No 1, KTM), veteran Rodney Faggotter (#56, Yamaha), Ben Young who finished 10th in the rookie class last year (#63) and rookie Matthew Tisdall ( (#143, KTM).

There will also be competitors on 23 quads and 46 UTVs, and in 46 trucks and 87 cars.

The rally ends on January 17 after covering nearly 13,000km across 12 stages.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Toby Price set to lead KTM Dakar 2020 defence

December 30, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Toby Price set to defend Dakar Rally title

Toby Price is all set to defend his Dakar Rally title in 2020, alongside teammates Sam Sunderland, Matthias Walkner, Luciano Benavides and Mario Patrao for the KTM Factory Racing Team, no doubt hoping for a repeat of 2019, where KTM clinched the top three positions.

Toby Price KTM RALLY STAGE — Toby Price – Image by Sebas Romero

The 42nd running of the event is not far off either, starting January 5 from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the 12-stage 2020 Dakar Rally will cover a total of 7,856 kilometres, 5,097 of which are timed specials. The race will incorporate two marathon stages, with a rest day for all teams on January 11.

Dakar Preview Mario Patrao KTM RALLY — Mario Patrao joins the KTM Factory line-up

New to the Dakar, the road book will be pre-coloured, reducing the preparation work for all competitors prior to the next day’s stage. For at least four of the 12 stages, the road book will be presented to the riders just minutes before the start of the day’s racing.

Seemingly achieving the impossible, Toby Price won the 2019 Dakar while nursing a broken wrist. Ending the event having secured a deserved and hard-fought victory, Price’s success came at a cost with the Australian needing surgery to repair damage sustained during the race.

Returning to rally competition only in August at the Atacama Rally, Price soon settled back into a fast rhythm, placing fourth overall. Showing impressive speed at the Rally du Maroc in October, the reigning Dakar Champion now looks ahead to January and the defence of his title.

Toby Price

“Winning the 2019 Dakar started off as a bit of a dream, but with a lot of hard work put in behind the scenes by myself and the team we were able to make it happen, even with a broken wrist. It took a little time to recover from that event – I had aggravated the injury during the race and needed another surgery and bone graft to fix things. I spent the first part of the year recovering but then was back on the bike for the Atacama in September. My feeling on the bike was good there, which was encouraging and I’ve been getting steadily stronger ever since. Testing has been good, as usual the team have made some important tweaks to the bike, primarily with the suspension, so I’m really pleased about that. 2020 is going to be a whole different Dakar for us. It’s putting everyone back on a level playing field, which I think is good for the sport. It’s going to be a new race, a new look and I’m really excited for the challenge.”

Enjoying a successful 2019 season, Sam Sunderland went straight from the Dakar into the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and dominated the first two rounds. A runner-up result in Chile was enough for the likeable Brit to claim his first ever world title with one round to spare.

Sam Sunderland

“I’m confident going into this Dakar. You kind of judge your pace on how you have been riding the previous year and winning the world championship and coming third in the Dakar earlier in the year has been a real boost for me. Both the team and the bike have been fantastic all year and I’m going into the race fit and focused on doing my best. I’m looking forward to the new challenge that awaits us too – it’s going to be a new adventure for everybody and I think that really sums up the spirit of the Dakar. I like the fact that we are going somewhere new and that everyone is going to have to adapt and overcome all the new things that are thrown at us. The route is looking tough, but I’m certainly going to give the race my best shot.”

Runner-up to Price at the 2019 Dakar, despite carrying an injury through the majority of the race, Matthias Walkner also needed surgery and recovery time during the year. Building up his speed over the final two rounds of the world championship, the 2018 Dakar Champion has been putting in many valuable hours of testing ahead of the 2020 event.

Matthias Walkner

“The last Dakar was really tough for me. Finishing second was fantastic but breaking my ankle on only the fourth day made the rest of the race a massive challenge. Thankfully I was able to finish but the recovery process since then has been quite long. The training I’ve been doing has had a massive benefit to my fitness and although I haven’t spent as many hours on the bike as I would have liked, I feel great within myself and certainly ready for this new challenge. Testing has gone well, not just with the feeling on the bike but with navigation too, as I think it’s going to prove extra-important at this Dakar.”

Luciano Benavides successfully completed the 2019 Dakar well inside the top 10, while gaining valuable experience at the gruelling event. After showing increased pace and maturity over the course of the 2019 season the young Argentinian secured the Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title and now hopes to carry his momentum into the forthcoming Dakar in Saudi Arabia.

Luciano Benavides

“2019 has been the best year of my rally career so far. To finish the last Dakar in eighth and then win the junior world title with fifth in the overall is amazing. After such a strong season I’m really looking forward to the 2020 Dakar. I feel I have come on a lot since last year and I’m excited to put my experience to the test. The Dakar for me is like no other rally – you have to take the event day by day and treat each stage as a single race. I try not to worry too much about the overall time, the most important thing is to get to the finish safely and do the very best performance that I can.”

2020 Dakar Rally Stages

Stage 1 – Jeddah > Al Wajh, 752 km – SS : 319 km
Stage 2 – Al Wajh > Neom, 401 km – SS : 367 km
Stage 3 – Neom > Neom, 489 km – SS : 404 km
Stage 4 – Neom > Al Ula, 676 km – SS : 453 km
Stage 5 – Al Ula > Ha’il, 563 km – SS : 353 km
Stage 6 – Ha’il > Riyadh, 830 km – SS : 478 km
Rest Day – Riyadh
Stage 7 – Riyadh > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 741 km – SS : 546 km
Stage 8 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 713 km – SS : 474 km
Stage 9 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Haradh, 891 km – SS : 415 km
Stage 10 – Haradh > Shubaytah, 608 km – SS : 534 km
Stage 11 – Shubaytah > Haradh, 744 km – SS : 379 km
Stage 12 – Haradh > Qiddiya, 447 km – SS : 374 km

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, News

Electric Tacita launches at Dakar Rally

December 13, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Italian electric motorcycle company Tacita will launch their rally edition at the Dakar Rally which moves from South America to Saudi Arabia in January 2020.

But the Tacita T-Race Rally won’t be competing in the 7500km rally, 75% of which will be in power-sapping sand. How could it with just 220km of range in eco mode!

Instead, the bike will be on show at the podium on 4 January 2020 and select events along the way.

It will also take part in the non-competitive 20km Qiddiyah Grand Prix on the final day of the rally on 17 January 2020.

Hardly a great promo for electric bike range!

Tacita electrics

Tacita has two electric T-Cruise cruiser models launched in 2017 costing about $20,000 to $A42,500, depending on battery size.

Their T-Race series consists of the Enduro, Motard, Cross and now Rally costing up to $37,000 for the 44kW/100Nm motor with an 18kWh battery pack.

The T-Race Rally is the first and only electric motorcycle to race in the African desert when a prototype competed in the 2012 Merzouga Rally in Morocco.

Tacita will also have its solar-powered recharging trailer on show at the rally.

Tacita T-Race Rally tech specs

Electric motor: PMAC
Mappings: Eco and Sport
Transmission: 5 speed gearbox with hydraulic clutch
Cooling system: liquid type, with circuits for electric motor and controller
Traction battery: LI-PO Lythium Polymer battery 18 kWh
Battery life: 370.000 km or over 2000 cycles to 80% initial capacity.
Batteries warranty: five years
Max power: 34 and 44kW optional motor with 85Nm/27kW standard motor with 60Nm torque or 11kW with 60Nm
Max rpm: 8000
Wheelbase: 1490mm
Chassis: single-shell frame split in chrome-molybdenum
Clearance: 330mm
Front suspension: upside-down telescopic hydraulic fork with advanced axle 46mm diameter; 300mm travel
Rear suspension: progressive link with fully adjustable suspension unit; 280mm travel
Front wheel: 1.60 x 21″ – tyre 90/90-21
Front brake: floating disk 300 mm diameter with Brembo calyper and master cylinder
Rear wheel: 2.15 x 18″ tyre 140/80-18
Rear brake: 220 mm
Regenerative braking: 2 maps of engine brake. No engine brake (2-stroke engine style) and regenerative braking (4-stroke engine style)
Reverse: finally the reverse for the offroad (and city) use !!! Easy to maneuver in every situation.
Body: polyamide reinforced Kevlar
Range: 220 km in the Tacita Range Method + reserve power
Reserve Power: automatically activated at 5 % of remaining charge, reducing performance to reach the nearest charging point.
Charger: integrated on-board 10A/16A to be used with standard sockets.
Charging time: 3 hours with the 16A charging power. 5 hours from “reserve power” level to 80% at 220 V with the on-board charger from any socket

2020 Dakar Rally

Dakar organiser ASO has signed a five-year deal from 2020 with the tainted nation criticised for human rights violations including the murder of American newspaper reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

The Muslim nation also has a poor record on its treatment of women which could have been an issue with the rally organisers as many women now compete.

However, last year Saudi women were finally permitted to ride motorcycle and drive trucks.

The rally was moved from Africa to South America in 2009 after threats of terrorism in Mauritania forced the cancellation of the 2008.

It has since been held in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, but this year was run in Peru only after the other countries failed to reach an agreement with the organisers.

It is believe a bidding war followed with Saudi Arabia, Chile and South Africa with the event eventually going to the highest bidder.

The oil-rich country reportedly offered the ASO $15 million per year, compared with $3 million proposed by Chile for 2020.

Saudi Arabia features 2.25 million square kilometres of desert, plus the Asir mountains where temperatures range from -2 to 30 degrees Celsius in January.

Organisers hope to include other Mid-East countries such as Oman, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Egypt in following years.

No Aussie Dakar

It is a shame that Australia was not considered.

We contacted the Federal Sports Minister’s office and Motorcycling Australia to find out if they had considered a bid but received no response from the Minister’s office.

Motorcycling Australia Events Manager – Off-Road Matthew Falvo confirmed they had not been approached about running the Dakar Rally in Australia.

Toby Price honour saudi — Toby wins his sixth Finke Desert Race in 2018

However, Australia’s first Dakar winner, Toby Price, who won his second rally this year will be well suited to the Saudi terrain.

Toby, who is also the first Aussie to win the Cross Country Rally World Championship, won the Rally du Maroc in the Sahara dunes of Morocco last year.

His 2018 championship also included rounds in the Middle East dunes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi .

Toby is also the king of the Aussie sands, scoring a record sixth victory in the Finke Desert Race last year.

We organised a petition to get official honours recognition for the double Dakar champion. The petition is now approaching 15,000 signatures.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Tony Price readies for 2020 Dakar Rally in January

November 28, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Toby Price all set to defend Dakar Rally title in 2020

Toby Price has been spotted training for the 2020 Dakar Rally, with images out of KTM showing the Australian rider all geared up with the KTM Factory Racing crew for the event which will take place in Saudi Arabia, marking the 42nd edition of the rally.

Toby Price KTM DAKAR RALLY STAGE — Tony Price – Image by Sebas Romero

Price returns to defend his 2019 title in January of 2020, with many observing the 2020 running may be the most challenging yet, covering 7900km, with competitors battling through over 5000km of special stages.

Soldiering through the pain of a broken wrist suffered just weeks before the 2019 event, Price went on to take victory, KTM’s 18th consecutive win of the event, leading home fellow KTM rider’s Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland.

Price just took second overall in the Baja 1000 race in his truck, and also competed in the Finke event earlier in the year in the truck category due to the earlier wrist injury and aiming for the 2020 Dakar.

Toby Price also recently won the final stage of the Rally du Maroc, but it wasn’t enough to elevate him to the overall win, finishing just off the podium in fourth overall, sharing at the time, “I only just missed out on the podium, which is frustrating, but it’s been really good training. I missed out on the podium by just seven seconds but all-in-all I’m pleased with how I rode. Navigation was really tricky here and we had to learn to ride with the minimum of information. I’m hoping that will put us in a good position for January and the Dakar Rally.”

Dakar 2020

The 2020 event will kick off in Jeddah in January 5, with the first third of the rally a test of navigation skills along the Red Sea and heading north to Neom and Al Ula, before heading into the dunes between Ha’il and Riyadh.

The Shubaytah and Haradh stages will be contested in the vast “Empty Quarter”of the Saudi territory, before heading into the final Qiddiyah stage, where navigation will again be vital.

The 48th event will also see a rebalance of the parameters, with new colour-coded roadbooks only given to competitors minutes before timed sector’s start. A Super Marathon stage for the top pilots will only allow 10-minutes of work on their machines, alongside a traditional marathon the day before the finish. A joker will also be granted to competitors forced to retire in all categories, allowing them to rejoin the Rally in the Dakar Experience classification.

2020 Dakar Rally Stages

Stage 1 – Jeddah > Al Wajh, 752 km – SS : 319 km
Stage 2 – Al Wajh > Neom, 401 km – SS : 367 km
Stage 3 – Neom > Neom, 489 km – SS : 404 km
Stage 4 – Neom > Al Ula, 676 km – SS : 453 km
Stage 5 – Al Ula > Ha’il, 563 km – SS : 353 km
Stage 6 – Ha’il > Riyadh, 830 km – SS : 478 km
Rest Day – Riyadh
Stage 7 – Riyadh > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 741 km – SS : 546 km
Stage 8 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Wadi Al-Dawasir, 713 km – SS : 474 km
Stage 9 – Wadi Al-Dawasir > Haradh, 891 km – SS : 415 km
Stage 10 – Haradh > Shubaytah, 608 km – SS : 534 km
Stage 11 – Shubaytah > Haradh, 744 km – SS : 379 km
Stage 12 – Haradh > Qiddiya, 447 km – SS : 374 km

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, News

Vote Toby Price GQ Sportsperson of the Year

October 16, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Double Dakar Rally champion Toby Price may have missed out on the prestigious Don Award, but you can still help him become GQ Sportsperson of the Year.

Toby is one of the dozen finalists in the GQ magazine’s awards. Click here to register and cast your vote for Toby.

Let’s make sure the double Dakar winner, Australian off-road champ, world enduro champ, four-time Finke winner and five-time Hattah Desert Race victor is successful.

In March, Toby was awarded the inaugural Ronald J Walker Award for Excellence by the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame.

However, he’s up against a tough field for the GQ award: footballers Dustin Martin and James Tedesco; basketball Ben Simmons; cricketers Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and Ellyse Perry; soccer player Samantha Kerr; Opals and AFLW player Erin Phillips, snowboarder Scotty James; and tennis players Ash Barty and Dylan Alcott.

Ash Barty won The Don for which Toby was also considered, although he didn’t make their final short list.

That included: tennis grand slam champion Dylan Alcott OAM, 2018 NRL premiership hero Cooper Cronk, three-time Tour de France stage winner Caleb Ewan, 2018 world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, seven-time Bathurst winner Craig Lowndes OAM, Ashes winners Ellyse Perry and Tim Paine, and swimming world champion Ariarne Titmus.

In January, we put forward Toby’s name to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame Selection Committee and Board for consideration for The Don award named after Don Bradman.

Also, we also launched a petition calling for a national sporting honour for Toby. It attracted more than 15,000 signatures.

The petition is still live and relevant for consideration for next year’s Don Award.

And if Toby wins his third Dakar Rally in January 2020 when it moves from South America to Saudi Arabia the judges surely can’t ignore it.

Click here to sign our petition

GQ award

gq Toby Price FIM Cross Country Champion Australia's first Dakar Rally winner and newly crowned Cross Country Rallies World Champion Toby Price is urging riders to get their bikes out of the garage for Ride to Work Week. honour — World Rally Champion

The GQ award will be based on popularity, so it will be tough for a motorcycle racer to win against such popular sports as cricket, football and tennis.

But it’s not impossible. In 1987, Australia’s first 500cc world champion, Wayne Gardner, was awarded ABC Sportsman of the Year, Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) and Sport Australia Sportsman of the Year.

However, we would like to see Toby win the more prestigious Don Award which is awarded by a panel of experts, not a popular magazine vote.

The honour goes to the sportsperson who “inspires the nation” like Don Bradman. Can’t think of a more inspiring winner, having ridden through major injuries.

The Don Award began in 1998 when five-time world GP champion Mick Doohan was a finalist. The Don was shared that year by cricket captain Mark Taylor and athlete Heather Turland.

It will be difficult for Toby to win The Don as no motorsport identity has ever won.

Two-time MotoGP champion Casey Stoner is a three-time nominee and two-time finalist, but never a recipient of The Don. Last year F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was a finalist on his second nomination, joined by Indy driver Will Power.

We reckon it’s time for a motorcycle racer to win The Don. Hopefully, that will be next year!

Our petition also calls on state (Queensland and NSW) and federal sports ministers to consider Toby for a state or national sportsperson of the year honour.

Each time you sign, an email goes to the ministers’ offices, so they would be well aware of Toby’s community support.

We approached Queensland and NSW sports ministers because Toby was born in NSW and now lives on the Gold Coast.

Your signatures on the petition will help sway the ministers, so keep sharing the petition with your friends.

Why Toby deserves an award

Toby Price Dakar Rally consistency honour don — Toby in action

Australia has a long history of Dakar entries, most notably rookie and privateer Andy Haydon who placed third in 1998, Simon Pavey who competed 10 times and the late Andy Caldecott who competed from 2004 to 2006 when he tragically died during the race.

The Dakar is a gruelling rally that has claimed the lives of 24 competitors since it started in 1978. It is referred to as the toughest motorsport event in the world.

Toby started racing the lethal Dakar in 2015, finishing an astounding third on debut.

The following year he rode for the KTM Factory team and became the first Australian to win the rally.

He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished third despite not racing for a year due to injury.

Just a month before this year’s Dakar, Toby broke his wrist in training. His second victory while nursing a “burning wrist” is all the more brave and worthy of an honour.

In fact, has been in for more surgery after the screw in his wrist wore away at the bone like a ‘windscreen wiper’ during the race.

Last year Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and scored a record sixth win in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.

In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.

Toby has also won two Australian Junior Motocross Championships and the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship.

Dakar’s most prolific winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, scored his sixth win the year he turned 33. Marc Coma won his fifth Dakar Rally at the age of 39. So Toby, aged 31, still has several years of racing ahead of him and is hopeful of more Dakar wins.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Toby Price misses out on The Don Award

October 10, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Double Dakar Rally champion Toby Price has missed out on the prestigious Don Award which has gone to tennis player Ash Barty.

Toby had been considered for the award announced last night (10 October 2019), but he did not even make the short list.

In January, we put forward Toby’s name to the Australia Sport Hall of Fame Selection Committee and Board for consideration for The Don award named after Don Bradman.

Also, we also launched a petition calling for a national sporting honour for Toby. It attracted more than 15,000 signatures.

The petition is still live and relevant for consideration for next year’s Don Award.

And if Toby wins his third Dakar Rally in January 2020 when it moves from South America to Saudi Arabia the judges surely can’t ignore it.

Click here to sign the petition

The Don

Toby Price FIM Cross Country Champion Australia's first Dakar Rally winner and newly crowned Cross Country Rallies World Champion Toby Price is urging riders to get their bikes out of the garage for Ride to Work Week. honour — World Rally Champion

The Don Award would be a fitting honour for Toby since it is given to a sportsperson who “inspires the nation” like Don Bradman.

The award began in 1998 when five-time world GP champion Mick Doohan was a finalist. The Don was shared that year by cricket captain Mark Taylor and athlete Heather Turland.

It will be difficult for Toby to win The Don as no motorsport identity has ever won.

In March, Toby was awarded the inaugural Ronald J Walker Award for Excellence by the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame.

However, we reckon it’s time for a motorcycle racer to win The Don. Hopefully, that will be next year!

Our petition also calls on state (Queensland and NSW) and federal sports ministers to consider Toby for a state or national sportsperson of the year honour.

Each time you sign, an email goes to the ministers’ offices, so they would be well aware of Toby’s community support.

We approached Queensland and NSW sports ministers because Toby was born in NSW and now lives on the Gold Coast.

Your signatures on the petition will help sway the ministers, so keep sharing the petition with your friends.

Why Toby deserves an award

The Dakar is a gruelling rally that has claimed the lives of 24 competitors since it started in 1978. It is referred to as the toughest motorsport event in the world.

Toby started racing the lethal Dakar in 2015, finishing an astounding third on debut.

The following year he rode for the KTM Factory team and became the first Australian to win the rally.

He broke his leg in 2017 and last year finished third despite not racing for a year due to injury.

Just a month before this year’s Dakar, Toby broke his wrist in training. His second victory while nursing a “burning wrist” is all the more brave and worthy of an honour.

In fact, has been in for more surgery after the screw in his wrist wore away at the bone like a ‘windscreen wiper’ during the race.

Last year Toby also became the first Australian to win the FIM World Cross Country Championship and scored a record sixth win in Australia’s toughest motorcycle rally, the Finke Desert Race.

Toby Price honour don — Toby wins sixth Finke

In fact, he won that race on debut, a feat he also achieved in the Hattah Dessert Race.

Toby has also won two Australian Junior Motocross Championships and the Australian Off-Road Racing Championship.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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