2016 Dakar Rally: Stage 12 Results

Red Bull Factory KTM Racing Rally Team’s Toby Price wrapped up the penultimate stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally in second place, further extending his Overall lead as the competition heads for the finish line in Rosario, Argentina.

Price completed the stage seven minutes and 32 seconds behind the day’s winner, Helder Rodrigues of Portugal. In the process, he bumped up his accumulated lead to 37 minutes and 39 seconds over KTM-mounted rider, Stefan Svitko of Slovakia.

Price’s job is not over yet, though. There is still some 700km to ride, including 180km under the clock as riders travel from Villa Carlos Paz to Rosario. Those who have survived the 12 stages so far will start in reverse order to build the final tension as they head for the finish.

Price said it had been tough day, where there was a 450km liaison section to ride before they reached the start of the timed special. “Before the special started you felt like you had already done a half marathon,” he said. “But for sure, we got through it with no big dramas. It was a hard stage, not with the navigation but just with preserving the bike and the tyres. There was a lot of real sharp shale rocks and they chewed up everything really quick. It felt like I was riding on ice on the last bit. We also copped a fair bit of rain in the last section. The riverbeds were up again and it felt like the crossings were very slippery. I went for one little ‘excursion’ where it was slippery and I caught a bit of mud. So I just backed it down to make sure we got to the finish line and I didn’t trash the bike or myself.”

Price admitted that now so close to the end of the race, the emotions were on the rise with a real prospect of winning this 9000km-long epic race on only his second attempt. “There’s a lot of mixed thoughts, a lot of emotions but the bike’s all good and the team has done an unbelievable job in getting it sorted. Now we just have to get to the finish line,” Price added. 

For more on the 2016 Dakar Rally, visit: www.dakar.com