Australia's Dakar Rally legend Toby Price has ended his "average" first week in the 2024 edition with a flourish which persuades him he could yet challenge for a third motorcycle triumph in the world's toughest rally.
"We're still in it," declared Price on Friday, after his best two days yet amid the vast Saudi Arabian dunes helped transport him to a runner's-up finish on the marathon 48-hour sixth stage and move to fifth in the overall standings at the race's halfway stage.
The riders all take a well-earned rest day on Saturday, with Price having to work out how he is going to make up the time next week on the formidable Monster Energy Hondas, who boast three of the top four places with American Ricky Brabec now leading the way.
The 36-year-old Price moved up two places and clawed back four-and-a-half minutes on the pacesetters to lie 27 minutes behind Brabec, a gap that's far from insurmountable in such an unpredictable race where competitors can lose chunks of time at a stroke with a simple navigation error, fuel miscalculation or accident.
Price himself made light of losing some valuable time over the 48-hour stage in the Empty Quarter desert when he took a tumble in the sand and he eventually finished four minutes 13 seconds behind French stage winner Adrien Van Beveren.
"Chrono stage is done, had a slip up where I got stuck and had a fall, but nothing big, made it to the finish and I'm happy with that," Price, winner in 2016 and 2019, reported on X.
"First week has been pretty average for me, we're still in it… feeling good so will keep pushing."
In the standings, Brabec, the 2020 winner, leads on 27 hours 11 minutes and 21 seconds, having grabbed top spot from Botswana's Ross Branch by 51 seconds.
Brabec's teammates Van Beveren (third 9:21 behind the leader) and Chilean Jose Florimo (fourth, 14:14 behind) are both in Price's sights.
Neither is Price's Australian colleague Daniel Sanders out of the picture, having finished fourth on the stage on his GasGas bike and now lying seventh overall, 35:50 behind Brabec.
Van Beveren was able to enjoy being part of an historic day for France at the Dakar, with four stage wins in major categories going to French riders and drivers - a first-ever sweep of its type at the race.
Sebastian Loeb won in the cars category - with Audi's Spaniard Carlos Sainz leading the overall standings - Alexandre Giroud took the quad bike honours, and Xavier de Soultrait won in the SSV category.
