Monday, 1 April 2019:
 | | TOBY PRICE of Australia from the KTM Factory Racing Team No. 3 Motorbike celebrates the victory of the 2019 Dakar Rally at Magdalena Beach or Playa on in Lima, Peru. | |
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Dakar Rally motorcycle champion Toby Price's recovery from a broken wrist is behind his decision to swap two wheels for four at this year's Finke Desert Race.
Price claimed his second Dakar title in January despite riding with a broken scaphoid bone in his right wrist.
The 31-year-old has since had part of his hip grafted on to the scaphoid to repair the damage caused by competing in the gruelling rally in Peru.
To protect the injury Price has announced he'll sit out the motorcycle category of June's 480km race from Alice Springs to Finke and back.
Instead Price will race in the truck category with an eye on ensuring he's recovered completely before defending his Dakar title next year.
"Racing only the truck is the safer option to know that I'll be ready for Dakar 2020," Price said.
"Bummed I'm missing out on the bike but I've got to look to the future and be smart about my injury at the moment."
Price is a six-time winner of the motorcycle category in the Finke event but has never won the truck category, finishing second in 2016.
The two-day multi-terrain trek will be held on June 9 and 10.
