Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will compete in the 2025 Dakar Rally, but this time they are leaving two wheels behind to take on the challenge in a car – as a duo.

Yes, you read that right. The riders who have been racing in the iconic rally on motorcycles up to this year’s edition have decided to join forces in a Toyota Hilux T1+ from Overdrive Racing for 2025.

This will be the first four-wheel experience for both riders. Price has already driven a car in competitions in Australia and the United States, while Sunderland will make his debut as a co-driver.

It’s not uncommon for motorcycle riders in rally-raid and off-road events to switch to cars later in their careers. Hubert Auriol, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Nani Roma, who all won the Dakar in both categories, are prime examples of this transition.

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O conteúdo Toby Price and Sam Sunderland together at Dakar 2025… in a car! aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Kove showcased two new models at the 2024 EICMA – which kicked off this Tuesday in Milan. The 450 Rally EX and the 800X Rally are now on display to the public, months before they compete in the most challenging off-road races.

Kove 450 Rally EX

The Kove 450 Rally EX is the competition-ready version of the 450 Rally, notable for its lightness, strength, and performance. It features a single-cylinder engine and has been crafted with ultra-light materials and cutting-edge technology.

With a 449cc engine, it produces 47.7 kW of power (64 hp) and 50 Nm of torque, reaching a top speed of 180 km/h. The fuel tank has a 34-liter capacity.

The frame is tubular steel. Its suspension system includes a USD fork at the front and a rear mono-shock with progressive linkage, both fully adjustable. The braking system consists of a floating disc and dual-piston caliper up front, and a single-piston disc brake at the rear. The exhaust is by Akrapovic, and an onboard LCD screen provides essential information.

This bike is designed for both professional riders and rally enthusiasts. In January, the 450 Rally EX will take on the Dakar with Kove’s official team, and with Kove Italia under the management of Pelpi International fielding riders Cesare Zacchetti and Ottavio Missoni.

Kove 800X Rally

As for the Kove 800X Rally, already available at dealerships in Italy, boasts a twin-cylinder engine and a robust frame, making it ideal for long, rough-terrain journeys.

The engine has a displacement of 799cc, paired with a six-speed gearbox. It delivers 71 kW of power (95.2 hp) and 80 Nm of torque, with a top speed of 185 km/h. The fuel tank holds 19 liters.

The bike has a diamond-type steel frame with a bolt-on aluminum subframe. It features a Yu-An USD fork at the front and an adjustable rear mono-shock. The front brake includes a dual-piston disc caliper, while the rear has a single-piston disc, with switchable ABS.

Lightweight, high-performing, and easy to handle, this model will compete in the Africa Eco Race in January, with Kove Italia and Pelpi International’s support, piloted by European motorally champion Matteo Bottino.

O conteúdo Kove attacks the rallies with two new bikes exhibited at EICMA aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

In a surprising move in the rally-raid world, Sam Sunderland announced his retirement from professional racing on Wednesday. However, he will continue his association with Red Bull GasGas in a support and development role.

Throughout his career, the 35-year-old Briton made a mark in global rally-raids with two Dakar victories – one in 2017 and another in 2022 – and two world titles—in 2019 and 2022. Sunderland first competed in the Dakar Rally in 2012 and returned two years later, both times with Honda, but ended with retirements.

The outcome was the same fate in 2015, the year he began his long association with KTM. After missing 2016, Sunderland made a strong comeback with a win in 2017. He competed in the rally every year since, and in 2022 – now with GasGas – secured his second title. He was forced to retire in both 2023 and 2024.

In a press release, Sunderland said: ‘It is with gratitude, humility, a bit of sadness, but without regret, that I announce my retirement from motorcycle racing after having a career that I dreamed of once upon a time. From winning two world championships to my two Dakar victories, it’s been an incredible run. I would like to thank everyone that has been a part of this chapter and I’m looking forward to staying close to the team and playing a part in supporting their race efforts in the future’.

O conteúdo Sam Sunderland ends racing career at 35 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Many say that nothing lasts forever and that every love story has an end and so it was with Toby Price and KTM, who officially announced the end of their partnership just moments ago.

For 15 years, Price has been a prominent figure in the world of competitive motorcycling, riding KTM bikes for the majority of his career. His journey began in Australia, where he clinched an impressive five Australian Off-Road Championship titles before transitioning to the global arena. Notably, at the 2014 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), he showcased his prowess by dominating the E3 category while representing his nation, laying the foundation for his rally career.

In 2016, in just his second year as a factory rider, Price secured a remarkable victory at the Dakar Rally, dominating five stages and clinching the overall win with a substantial lead. His triumphs didn’t stop there; in 2019, despite battling a broken wrist during the grueling race, he clinched his second Dakar Rally victory astride his KTM 450 RALLY. The 2024 Dakar Rally marked his impressive 10th participation in the event, a testament to his enduring excellence.

Price’s achievements extend beyond the Dakar, as evidenced by his 2018 triumph as the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion, where he displayed consistent excellence throughout the season, including a notable victory at the Rallye du Maroc.

As Toby embarks on the next chapter of his career, KTM expresses its heartfelt gratitude for the countless milestones achieved alongside Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The entire team extends their best wishes to Toby for continued success in his future endeavors.

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsports Director: ‘A massive thank you to Toby for everything he has contributed to our rally program, and for the passion he has constantly shown for the sport and the brand. Joining the KTM family over 15 years ago, he has brought home a collection of trophies and successes for the team, including his world championship title and two Dakar wins. Toby has been a hugely influential member of the rally team, and his significance to the brand and its many triumphs cannot be overstated. I’m certain I speak for all at KTM when I wish him well in his future endeavors’.

O conteúdo Breaking news: Toby Price and KTM part ways after 15 years aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After 11 motorbike participations, Laia Sanz decided to make a change and a few weeks ago completed her third Dakar on four wheels. The 38-year-old rider says she has no regrets about her decision.

‘I miss a lot of things. I don’t miss taking so many risks, but I do miss socialising with my teammates and day-to-day life, because I had a rally bike at home and I trained every day, something I can’t do with cars. I also liked the peace of mind I had in the last few years of my contract. You’d sign for two or three years and you could work as you wanted, without thinking about what you’d have to do the following year or that you’d have to start a new project from scratch, as is the case now. I wouldn’t be lazy about getting ready to race motorbikes again, but it’s very dangerous and now I’m at a different point with the cars’ said Laia in an interview with Sport newspaper.

‘There’s no way I’d ever ride a motorbike again. Now I look at things and think how crazy I was, that I was lost for taking part 11 times, not two or three by mistake, but 11’ added the experienced rider laughingly in another conversation with AS.

The last time she took part in the Dakar on two wheels, Laia finished 18th in the overall motorbike standings.

O conteúdo ‘There’s no way I’d ride a motorbike again’ – Laia Sanz aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

This year, Paolo Ciabatti takes on a new challenge as he becomes the General Manager of Ducati Corse Off-Road, the new division of the manufacturer dedicated to motocross. But could the off-road segment expand in the future and enter rally-raid events like the Dakar?

Ciabatti addressed this question in an interview with AS, starting by recalling Ducati’s achievements in MotoGP in 2023: ‘Last year was amazing in MotoGP with 17 victories, 17 pole positions, all of this with six different riders’.

Regarding his move to the off-road project, Ciabatti explained: ‘You reach a point in your life where you need something new to do with more enthusiasm. At 66 years old, although MotoGP has given me a lot, especially because winning two World Championships was a great success in my career, I like to put my experience into a totally new project in which Ducati will start in a world that did not exist in our history, and where we hope to achieve the successes we have had in MotoGP’.

This year, Ducati will be participating in the Italian Motocross Championship to prepare for entry into the MXGP World Championship and AMA Supercross. As for entering the Dakar Rally in the future, Ciabatti stated: ‘We don’t have a plan at the moment to enter the Dakar, but when you have a bike with 450 cubic centimeters… it is likely that there is that possibility to consider. But it is a plan that does not exist at the moment. The Dakar is an interesting race to consider, and in recent days, I met with David Castera to learn how everything works so that I can gain some experience’.

O conteúdo Could Ducati race the Dakar Rally in the future? Here is Paolo Ciabatti’s answer aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Ricky Brabec was the big winner of the 46th edition of Dakar, which concluded last Friday, on the 19th. With this triumph, the American rider, in addition to enhancing his palmares, will fill his bank account.

For winning the competition, the Monster Energy Honda rider will receive 50 thousand euros, as detailed by DAZN. The second-placed Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports) will be entitled to half of that amount, namely 25 thousand euros, while the third-placed Frenchman Adrian van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda) will accumulate 15 thousand euros.

In the final standings, Brabec surpassed Branch by 10m53s, having managed to win a stage: the tenth, where he made all the difference.

O conteúdo How much money did the winner of Dakar 2024 earn? aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The Dakar 2024 concluded yesterday, and at the final finish line, there was only one woman: Jane Daniels, a factory rider for Fantic Racing, thus securing the Women’s Trophy.

There were only two women at the start, the other being Yael Kadshai (Nomade Racing/GasGas). The German rider was consistently behind Daniels, except for the seventh stage, where she was the fastest in the Women’s Trophy, until she was forced to retire in the ninth stage.

From then on, Daniels was the sole representative of women in the peloton. She finished in 48th place overall, over 18 hours behind the winner Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda).

O conteúdo Jane Daniels was the only woman to finish the Dakar on motorcycles aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Tobias Ebster not only was the best rookie of Dakar 2024 but also prevailed in the Original by Motul category. This category is reserved for riders who compete without technical assistance teams, receiving some support from the organization.

The German rider from Kini Rally Racing Team, riding a KTM, only did not win two stages: the fourth, where Albert Martín García (Pedrega Team/Husqvarna) set the pace, and the seventh, where Jérôme Martiny (Anquety Motorsport/Husqvarna) was the fastest.

These were the two main rivals for Ebster, who led from the prologue and quickly gained a comfortable lead. In the end, he beaten Martiny by 2h05m22s, with García in third at 6h04m17s.

David Pabiska (SP Moto Bohemia/KTM) finished fourth, with Juan Puga (JP1 Kews Dakar Rally Team/KTM) in fifth ahead of Gioele Meoni (Dakar 4 Dakar/KTM) – the son of two-time Dakar winner Fabrizio Meoni.

Final top ten of Original by Motul:

O conteúdo Tobias Ebster was the winner of Dakar in Original by Motul aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Until 2022, Xavier de Soultrait was one of the prominent riders in rally-raid and Dakar on motorcycles. He won a stage in Dakar, even achieved a top-ten overall finish, and was a factory Yamaha rider. Last year, after a spinal injury, he switched to four wheels in SSV, and this year, he clinched his first victory.

The Frenchman competed in a Polaris for Sébastien Loeb Racing Bardahl Team, with Martin Bonnet as his navigator. In a highly competitive SSV category in this Dakar, de Soultrait emerged as the winner with just a 2m25s lead over Jérôme de Sadeleer (MMP/Can-Am).

Despite the narrow margin of victory, de Soultrait led the standings continuously from the seventh stage. Before that, he had only been at the top after winning the Prologue. He also set the pace in stages 5 and 6, relying on consistency to secure the title.

O conteúdo Do you remember Xavier de Soultrait? He won the Dakar for the first time… in SSV aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.