As he battled with painful wrist problems over the stony terrain of the Dakar Rally's penultimate testing stage, it's little wonder Australian motorcycle great Toby Price admits he'll be glad when he reaches the finishing line safely.
This time last year, Price was set for a titanic final stage with his teammate Kevin Benavides as they battled for the motorcycle title in the Saudi Arabian desert. Eventually, only 43 seconds separated them as the Argentine took the laurels.
But when the 2024 edition concludes on Friday, the same Red Bull KTM riders will be scrapping only for the honour of finishing fifth, as the dominant Monster Energy Honda team look set to celebrate victory at the finish in Yanbu in the shape of their consistent American ace Ricky Brabec.
For Price, who's finished on the podium six times before including two victories, having to settle for a minor placing this year will be a disappointment but just completing the world's most challenging rally race on two wheels remains something to be celebrated.
He admitted earlier in the week that his wrists were giving him problems as he had to painfully negotiate the rocky terrain.
"Another day done here at the Dakar, and everything is feeling good," he reported after finishing fifth on the 11th stage from AlUla to Yanbu on Thursday.
He's sixth overall, five minutes 40 seconds behind the fifth-placed Benavides but they're now just part of the support cast with Brabec stilll having nearly 10-and-a-half minutes to spare over his nearest pursuer, Hero rider Ross Branch, from Botswana.
"The stones are definitely a challenge to get through, but I didn't make any major navigational mistakes today, there were just a couple of little sections where I had to make a small adjustment," said Price.
"That's one more stage ticked off and it brings us closer to the finish, which is a nice feeling. I'm feeling good physically, the bike is good, so I'll look forward to tomorrow and just crossing that finish line safely."
