Former Hunter local enduro and off-road racer Toby Price has lost the 2023 Dakar Rally by the narrowest margin ever in the race’s history.
Keven Benevides seized the overall lead on the very last day of the event in Saudi Arabia knocking Price from the top of the general standings and winning by just 43 seconds.
Price, a two-time Dakar champion, finished the final 417 kilometre stage of the race in second position just 55 seconds behind Benevides.
He admitted that a couple of stumbles pushed him back in the stage after having to backtrack three times to validate a waypoint.
Price said post-race he’s still happy with how he went finishing in second position overall.
“It was a close one, great job to Kevin.
“At the end of the day we just missed three waypoints by literally metres which dropped us back but all in all we’re going home with a trophy, we’re happy and healthy and ready for another one next year.”
It has been a chaotic race with one stage early in the piece cancelled altogether due to bad weather, riders had to be navigated through a changed route due to flooding in another stage and the final stage saw Price have to make his way through mud.
But, thankfully, he made it through without any major incidents.