RED Bull KTM rider Toby Price has won the 2016 Dakar rally after crossing the finish line in Rosario, Argentina, 39 minutes and 41 seconds ahead of second place Stefan Svitko.
Price’s achievement is all the more remarkable because he is the first Australian to win the Dakar in all divisions, and this year's event was only 28-year-old's second attempt.
Chilean rider Pablo Quintanilla finished third on his Husqvarna after battling Antoine Méo and Kevin Benavides for the final podium spot for most of the race but a heavy fall on the penultimate day pushed Méo back to seventh overall.
Following the rest day, Price was able to make consistent progress where his other main competitors suffered, particularly HRC Honda rider Paulo Gonçalves who pulled out after a crash. Joan Barreda also failed to finish after a mechanical failure
Price's victory has also given KTM its 15th Dakar win in a row.
Speaking after the race, Price said: 'To be the first Australian to win the Dakar in all divisions is crazy I pushed the days I needed to push and I looked after the bike the most in the marathon stages.'
The overall top 10 looks like this:
Pos.
N°
Name
Mark
Time
variation
Penalty
13
PRICE (AUS)
KTM
48:09:15
-
-
25
SVITKO (SVK)
KTM
48:48:56
00:39:41
00:01:00
34
QUINTANILLA (CHL)
HUSQVARNA
48:58:03
00:48:48
-
447
BENAVIDES (ARG)
HONDA
49:04:02
00:54:47
-
57
RODRIGUES (PRT)
YAMAHA
49:04:59
00:55:44
00:05:00
642
VAN BEVEREN (FRA)
YAMAHA
49:55:44
01:46:29
-
749
MEO (FRA)
KTM
50:06:02
01:56:47
-
823
FARRES GUELL (ESP)
KTM
50:10:15
02:01:00
-
948
BRABEC (USA)
HONDA
50:20:42
02:11:27
-
1045
MONLEON (ESP)
KTM
51:37:04
03:27:49
-
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