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Price last won the blue riband rally-raid in 2019, when he carried a broken wrist throughout the event.
Houlihan, who has multiple Dakar starts to his name, thinks his fellow Australian can do the job in what may be his two-wheel swansong in the event.
He also identified another Aussie, Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders, as one to watch at the sister GasGas team, depending on how he has recovered from a training crash prior to June’s Finke Desert Race.
“Obviously, I want to see Toby wrap it up this year,” Houlihan told the KTM Summer Grill.
“[It] Possibly could be his last year on a bike; nobody knows.
“I still think he’s the number one in the world regardless of his results. He’s had a few near-misses and some bad luck, so I think Toby’s going to be there to prove a point this year.
“Chucky’s such an unknown because he’s that much natural ability. He’s been pretty quiet on the radar since his accident up at Finke – he’s been keeping things under wraps – so, he could go there and surprise us all.
“But, I think you’ve got to back Toby this year. In all honesty, I think it could be his last year on a bike – hopefully it’s not – but he’ll be there to prove a point.”
KTM or GasGas has won 20 of the last 22 Dakar Rallies, with Honda riders prevailing in 2020 and 2021, but the field is now far more competitive.
“Guys like Skyler Howes, Mason Klein – who’s now racing on the Chinese Kove rally bike; just got a last-minute ride with them – I think there’s 15 guys that could possibly win,” added Houlihan.
“Bradley Cox, a few of the guys in the Rally2 class that have just stepped up, Michael Docherty from South Africa, there’s a lot of fast guys there.
“And Dakar’s such an unknown; anything can happen over those 15 days, and you’ve only got to look at the last round of the world championship in Rallye Du Maroc.
“Sam Sunderland had an accident before the race started, Skyler Howes had an accident on Day 1…
“That’s where I think Toby’s got that experience; he’s just so calculated about everything.
“But anything can happen at Dakar. It’s an unknown.”
The Prologue for Dakar 2024 takes place in AlUla on January 5 (local time).
For more from Andrew Houlihan, check out the full episode of the KTM Summer Grill.
