INTERVIEW: TOBY PRICE & SAM SUNDERLAND

As the first guests on Red Bull’s series In The Dust, Dakar champions Toby Price and Sam Sunderland take us deep into the essence of the Dakar Rally, striving to capture an experience that’s nearly impossible to describe.

“It’s an adventure. It’s hard to explain to people what you see in the races out here and when you’re on the route. But some of the landscapes you get to see are unbelievable, it’s crazy. We’re pretty lucky and it’s pretty special to have that. At the same time, you’re pretty on edge, running at your limit, and stressing about the day just to make sure you get a good stage.”

Toby and Sam, who have known each other for about 10 years, share the same camper throughout the event. Their unique bond adds a layer of camaraderie to the Dakar experience, where riders and drivers showcase a blend of competitive spirit and mutual respect. “We don’t actually race on a track, doing lap after lap, like sending it down the inside of each other or block passing each other like MotoGP,” Sam explains.

Toby chimes in: “It’s not so cutthroat in the desert. You’ve got plenty of room to play and get around, and sometimes you do find a guy that comes a little too close, and you have a bit of a clash together. But it’s not like a motocross track. We’re not trying to kill each other and go for gold. It’s a long race, we’re going to pace ourselves out a little bit.”

The dynamics differ significantly from other races, as in the Dakar, the challenge lies not against fellow riders but against the relentless forces of nature. As Sam puts it: “It’s your best time against the desert and his best time against the desert.”

Toby adds: “For sure, at the end of the day, we both want to win – and if we can get the chance to do it, we’re going to take it as best we can. But when we get into the camper things are different. A perfect example, it was 2019 when I had my broken wrist after four days. I wanted to go home, and he [Sam] was the one that was forcing me to go out the door and keep going, saying, ‘You got it, keep moving.’ And vice versa. We always try to back off each other a little bit, we ride for two different brands, but we’re both Red Bull, and we fight to get to the finish.”

Reflecting on how the rally unfolds, Toby succinctly captures the essence: “Chaos and carnage.” Sam expands on that, recounting days filled with dodging animals, facing scary moments, getting lost, and experiencing crashes. “There’s no chance anybody, no matter how well you prepare, can race for like 9,000 kilometres without having a drama,” Sam emphasises.

Despite the numerous hurdles, there are days when competitors ride for hours without seeing another soul. “Those days are quite boring, that’s mentally challenging. That’s the hardest part of the whole race,” Toby admits, giving us a glimpse into the solitude that amplifies the mental fortitude required.

Yet, this solitude may also present a safety concern. “You go to a Formula One track or a supercross, motocross track, anything like that. There’re people at your side within 10-15 seconds,” Toby points out the contrast with more controlled environments. “Whereas if we have something go wrong, it’s going to be 15-20 minutes at least before help or anyone arrives to get to you. So, you run on the edge and you’re gambling the whole time.”

As the rally stars delve into the motivations that bring them back to the desert year after year, Toby says with profound simplicity: “It’s just the adventure of it. We run a high risk of things going wrong. But I just like to come out, hang out with this bloke [Sam], stir him up, and get to ride a motorcycle. That’s my job. And it’s pretty much a dream come true.”

Sam contemplates their shared journey: “It’s like asking a marathon runner if they are having a good time at kilometre 41, and they’re suffering, they’re covered in sweat and their legs hurt. They’re having a horrible time at that moment – as we will for the next two weeks. But you add so much value to the result by going through all that suffering. So when you achieve the result that you want, whether it’s a win or finishing, it means that much more to you.”

In this first episode of ‘In The Dust,’ Toby Price and Sam Sunderland lay bare the soul of the Dakar Rally – a thrilling adventure beyond the races, a camaraderie thriving amidst chaos, and a passionate pursuit of triumph against the expansive canvas of the Saudi desert. You can watch it by clicking here