It has been three months since Toby Price won the Dakar Rally. And the Australian still can’t believe it. He became the only person to win the gruelling rally on the second attempt and also the first Aussie to do so. He has continued his good form into the year by winning the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and is looking to put on a strong show here in Qatar. Excerpts from our chat with Price:  

What are you expectations from this race?
It’s my first time. The conditions are going to be tough. It will be really hard navigation and also the terrain is really rocky. It’s going to catch a few guys out so we have to just make sure that we run a really smart race, stay on two wheels and get to the finish line every day. Hopefully that can get us on the podium somewhere. Navigation is the key ingredient when it comes to this sort of race.

Tell us about the incredible achievement of winning the Dakar?
It’s been 3-4 months now and I still can’t believe that I won the Dakar. It’s been a whirlwind of a trip. To win the Dakar on my second attempt is something that I never ever thought could be possible. To have the Dakar trophy in our hands is something pretty exciting and good for me and Australia. That’s the best part. To accomplish something that no one from Australia has done yet but now my hard work just got a lot harder and I have to back that up.

What are your plans for the year ahead?
The cross country rallies are what all lead up in prep for the Dakar. We have to stay fit and healthy through the whole year and use these races as a learning experience. Also make sure that there’s a bit of development on the bike. Then we should be pretty good. My main biggest goal is to just try and chase that Dakar thing again. But if not we want to try and win as many world championship rounds as possible and be near the pony end of the field with the championship at the end of the year.