Sam Sunderland said, “It always feels good
to cross the finish line at the Dakar. It’s
been a seriously tough race for all involved,
not just for me, but for all the teams, the
riders and the organisation. The bike has
been flawless all week, so I have to thank
my mechanic. I’m over the moon to take
third position, it’s not quite the result I was
hoping for, but even a finish at the Dakar
is an achievement in itself. Congratulations
to Toby, he has put in such a brave ride all
week.”
Laia Sanz said, “I think I was more nervous
before this final stage than any other,
possibly because of what I have been
through to get here. This year has been
special and I have achieved a great result
so I am very happy. It feels great to finally
arrive at the finish and I want to thank the
team and my mechanics for getting me here.
TOBY PRICE (LEFT) AND
MATTHIAS WALKNER
(RIGHT) TOOK A ONE-TWO,
WITH TEAM-MATE SAM
SUNDERLAND ROUNDING OUT
THE ALL-KTM PODIUM
PHOTO: FLAVIAN DUHAMEL/
RED BULL CONTENT POOL
LAIA SANZ FINISHED IN 11TH
PLACE OVERALL AND NOW
HAS NINE DAKAR FINISHES
FROM NINE STARTS
PHOTO: MARCELO MARAGNI/
RED BULL CONTENT POOL
As we have seen this year, the rally has been
very tough on the bikes as well as the riders.
I am very proud to be able to ride the best
machine for the best team.”
Jordi Viladoms (KTM Rally Team Manager)
stated, “It’s been an amazing race with
many ups and downs, often stressful,
but I am extremely proud of the whole
team’s performance. The rally has been
far tougher than expected. Despite being
shorter than usual it has included days with
tricky strategy, navigation and the level of
riding has been so close. To win our 18th
consecutive Dakar is incredible and a lot of
it is thanks to Toby – he won the race even
with a lot of pain in his wrist. Personally, I
would like to thank KTM for their ongoing
support of this rally program, but all of this
is only possible because of how the team
works together.”