Toby Price: The Dakar Podium Machine!

You can’t help feel for Australia’s Toby Price, who at this year’s Dakar Rally ran second by the smallest margin in the iconic race’s long and illustrious history. But then again, a majority of people we’ve spoken to since feel that Price’s runner-up finish in Saudi Arabia this year was tantamount to a win. It was certainly a win for his KTM team, who grew their tally of Dakar wins to 19. And by being so gracious in ‘defeat’, the 35-year-old Price cemented his legend status in rally-raid circles. Price’s 2023 result also means his Dakar podium tally jumps to six (that’s two wins, a second, and three thirds) from nine starts. Wow!

Given that incredible top-three track record at the world’s toughest off-road race, we couldn’t help but revisit the backstory of how Price scored his first Dakar ride (and podium) back in 2015, and lift a few excerpts from the interview we did with KTM’s Rally Team boss, Alex Doringer, at the time. Doringer, by the way, is the man behind the Dakar Rally’s longest win-streak; an Austrian bloke who, out of his own pocket, funded Australia’s Toby Price in his first Dakar in 2015 and then guided the big Aussie to his remarkable maiden victory just a year later. Here’s a few quotes from that fascinating conversation with Doringer…

DORINGER’S FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF TOBY PRICE…

“The first time I heard about Toby Price was when KTM’s General Manager in Australia, Jeff Leisk, emailed me and asked if KTM’s factory team could help support Toby at a World Enduro round he wanted to race in Europe in 2012. I had heard a lot about Toby’s talent, so we were happy to accommodate that. And I’ll always remember first meeting Toby at the airport in France because it was a very cold October day, and here was this big Australian guy in shorts and a T-shirt and just one set of riding gear in his gearbag. That left a lasting positive impression on me, and when I watched Toby ride in person, it was clear that he was a very, very talented rider. I should also mention Ben Grabham, who has been both a teammate and team manager for Toby, and who was very unlucky not to do better in his own two Dakar Rallys (people forget that, when Grabbo crashed in the 2014 race, he was in sixth position and not far from the leaders). Grabbo played a big part in the early development of Toby as a rally rider. He let Toby use his own KTM 450 Rally bike in Australia and taught him a lot about navigation and how he needs to approach rally racing.”

KURT CASELLI’S ROLE IN PRICE’S RALLY-RAID CAREER…

“Kurt Caselli was always a big Toby Price fan. After that 2012 World Enduro in France, I did not meet up with Toby again until the 2014 Six-Day, where he won the E3 class and ran second Outright, but I always kept track of what he was up to via online videos, and through Kurt Caselli, who was spearheading KTM’s Baja race program in America and had become close friends with Toby. When Toby crashed before the Baja race in 2013 and broke his neck, I asked Kurt to come and race the Dakar with us. Kurt was always telling me how good Toby was and that, one day, he should receive the support he deserves. Kurt told me that I needed to find a way to get Toby to race the Dakar Rally for KTM, and that this big Australian would not disappoint me.

“I had a very close relationship with Kurt, just as many people in the KTM family did. Kurt was a very special person not only as a rider, but also as an all-round good guy. And when he passed away after crashing at the 2013 Baja 1000, it was a very difficult time. After the funeral, I remember saying to my girlfriend that I’d promised Kurt I would help Toby race the Dakar Rally. And that’s exactly what happened in 2015, when Toby came third on debut.”

PRICE’S DAKAR RALLY DEBUT IN 2015…

“I felt I had a commitment to honour my promise to my good friend, Kurt Caselli. I also had a very good feeling about Toby’s ability to do well at Dakar. I knew that Toby would fit into the Dakar environment well, just as Kurt had. Sadly, both my grandparents passed away in the space of a year in 2014, but with the help of the money I received from them, I rented a bike from KTM and made sure KTM’s satellite team had a spot for Toby, along with a motorhome, a good mechanic and anything else he needed. All up, I think it cost me around 70,000 Euro [$108,000 AUD].

“My objective for Toby at that 2015 Dakar was to give him the opportunity to learn and show his potential. Finishing on the podium definitely showed his potential. But for any newcomer to win a stage at the Dakar, that really demonstrates their ability. And both Toby and Kurt managed to do that in their first Dakar. That first year with Toby, the goal was to keep him calm; to make him understand he did not need to race 100 percent each day, and to take things step by step. Toby was very smart. He spoke a lot with Marc Coma that year and learned about what it takes to do well at the Dakar Rally. So, in the end, what I did worked for KTM and for Toby, who got a full factory deal for the following year.”

HOW PRICE SCORED THE KTM FACTORY TEAM DEAL…

“I had been close to Marc Coma for many years, and I was aware that he felt he did not have anything more to prove in the sport. He had not been talking about retirement, but I thought he might have another year in him. But no, he ended up retiring after winning the 2015 Dakar. Before Marc’s retirement, there was a factory ride available for Toby, but it was with Husqvarna. So, when Marc retired, it freed up the position with KTM, which I was happier about.”

PRICE’S 2016 DAKAR RALLY WIN…

“Toby’s performance in the 2016 race was very professional and well managed. Toby is a guy who knows how to work effectively in a team environment. If there is something that needs improving on the bike, he is very good at communicating that to the team. Rather than complaining, it’s a collaborative effort. And he appreciates the small things. For example, one day at the 2016 Dakar, instead of the usual pasta meal, I organised some pizzas and beer for the team. Just one beer for Toby, but it was something he appreciated in a different way to most. He sees the team as a family who works together to find solutions. Also, in 2016, Toby was able to understand how to use his incredible talent on the bike. He could understand the difference between a stage when he could push and win by one minute, and a stage when he could push and win by 10 minutes. That is the key for a great Dakar rider, and it is something he learned very, very quickly.

“Toby’s win that year was so special for me because I thought a lot about Kurt Caselli and my promise to him that I’d support Toby at Dakar. And here we were; we’d done it. Because Kurt, me and Toby were all such good friends, it was very, very emotional. I also know that Toby thought about Kurt a lot during the 2016 race and drew on that when he needed strength.

“I think winning the race was difficult for Toby to get his head around fully because of how much travel and media attention it meant for him. As the first English-speaking rider in 10 years to win the Dakar – and the first Australian ever – it was a unique and very special achievement. That first two months after the race was relentless and almost killed him, but I think he handled it all in a very professional way.”

WHY TOBY PRICE STANDS OUT FROM OTHER DAKAR CHAMPIONS…

“Toby is so stable on the bike because he is big and strong and he uses his legs and body weight so effectively. And he sits down in situations where other riders would be standing. When I came to Australia to watch Toby at Finke Desert Race, I got the opportunity to study his technique from the helicopter for a long time. I saw that, even if he comes into a corner or rough section too fast, he is able to drive the rear wheel into the ground, and that lets it maintain traction and track straight. At Finke, it was amazing to see how talented he is on the bike, and it helped me understand how his technique translates so well onto the larger, heavier Dakar bike. The other incredible thing about Toby is that he looks after the machine. He is very gentle on the bike. For instance, we would fit a new clutch to Marc Coma’s bike after every day of the Dakar. But with Toby, we only replaced it once in 2016. And that was a precaution rather than because it was worn. Cyril Despres was the only other rider I can recall who is similarly gentle on the bike. But from a riding style point of view, Toby is a mix of Despres and Caselli.

“Navigation is also a great strength for Toby. There are not many riders who understand the total picture painted by the road book and the notes that accompany it. But just like Despres and Coma, Toby was able to visualise what the road book was telling him. He learned this skill quicker than any rider I have seen in the past. And because he has so much talent on the bike, everything is slowed down. This gives him the time to process the road book and navigate accurately.”