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Australian KTM rider Toby Price has won the final round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship in Morocco, but narrowly lost the title by just four-points.
Price needed key rival, Argentinean Luciano Benavides, to make a mistake during the final 157km stage, but this wasn’t forthcoming as the competitors attacked the Merzuoga dunes.
Finishing sixth on stage gave Price the win, but Benavides finished second in the stage to secure his maiden FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.
The victory, by 3:12s, capped off a season of mixed fortunes for Price as a technical problem at the Desafio Ruta 40 proved costly after leading the championship during the opening rounds, starting with second to Red Bull KTM team-mate Kevin Benavides in the Dakar Rally.
Despite narrowly losing the championship, Price is determined to add a second in 2024 where his campaign will again start in the world-renowned Dakar Rally in January.
“Yeah, It was a really good stage!” Price reflected.
“I had one little mishap, but other than that I’m happy to have won the round here in Morocco.
“The championship is a hard one to swallow, we put up a good fight and did everything we could but 2023 just hasn’t been the greatest season for us. I’m happy in the fact that I never gave up and put in 100 percent right to the finish.
“I’ll take a little time now to get some rest but then we’re soon looking ahead to the Dakar in January. For sure, it’s going to be another tough one, but I’m feeling good, the bike is great, and I’ll do my best as always.”
Benavides entered the final event holding a nine-point advantage over Price after a breakthrough season including podiums in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Sonora Rally, Desafio Ruta 40 and the Rallye du Maroc.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” said Benavides.
“It’s been a long journey to get to this point from finishing my first rally here in Morocco in 2017. To finish like this against Toby on the last day of the rally while opening the stage is incredible, I can’t thank the team enough for all the hard work and their belief in me!
“Finally I’ve got my first World Championship! Waiting for confirmation of the championship when I finished was tense, 40 minutes felt like four hours, but I knew I gave my best today as there was no other option.
“It’s been a tough season and I have trained hard so I want to rest for a week or two! After that it’s full gas again because I want to keep the same rhythm and pace for Dakar as it’s another dream for me to win.”
Price will return to action at the 2024 Dakar Rally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on January 5-19.
