After becoming the first Australian to win the Dakar rally three years ago, Toby Price has triumphed again, winning his 2^nd Dakar title in Peru.

We don’t have enough room in this magazine to list all the titles Toby Price has won throughout his racing career, nor do we have the space to list all the injuries he’s sustained along the way. This is a guy that puts it all on the line every time he gets on his bike.

Only weeks before he was set to race in his 5^th Dakar, Toby fractured his wrist leaving many doubting if he would be able to race, let alone perform well. Even Toby had his doubts. “Yeah with my injuries I didn’t have high expectations. But when you are in the thick of it, you’re just focused on the job in front of you and getting it done,” Toby said.

And get it done he did. Persevering despite his injuries, Toby focused on taking each day as it came. “The conditions in Peru were so tough, heading there I didn’t know what to expect. About 70-80% of the course was sand and it made it very difficult to make up time. Conditions would change overnight so you had to be on your guard the whole time and just stay focused on the road ahead.”

Thanks to his consistent riding, Toby ended the ended the 10-day event with a 9-minute lead over defending champion Matthias Walker who placed second. “When I won the first one it was a dream come true and then to do it again, I’m still pinching myself!” Toby said about his win.

Although he now resides on the Gold Coast, Singleton will always claim Toby as one of ours. He moved to Singleton with his family in 2003, which was also the same year he signed his first contract with Kawasaki.

“I really enjoyed the town, Singleton’s always had plenty of other people to race and train with. You could say it’s been a bit of a hub for motor sports. I want to thank everyone down in the Hunter for all their support and following me all these years. It’s a great area and even though I’m now settled up on the Gold Coast you never know, I may be back one day.”

For now, Toby’s enjoying his win and focusing on his recovery. “I had my 2^nd surgery on my wrist three days after landing back in Aus and I’m taking it easy while it heals. I just spent Australia Day with family and friends here on the Gold Coast and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my win than that.”

We’ve not seen the last of Toby, that’s for sure. He’s hoping to be back in form to compete in the Finke Desert Race in June, where we’ve no doubt he will continue to make us proud.