2023 ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE – PREVIEW Total motos

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, held just over a month after the Dakar Rally, looks set to test all drivers again, combining technical navigation with a long day of racing through the dunes of the Liwa Desert. Comprised of a short 6km prologue followed by five days of grueling riding, this year’s ADDC will see participants cover more than 2,000km, nearly 1,300km of which will be raced against the clock.

After battling for Dakar Rally victory that stretched into the closing stages of this year’s competition, Toby Price entered the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge eager to build on his podium results from the first round, Put yourself in a good position to be crowned the overall world champion at the end of the five-round season.

Toby is feeling fit and happy to be racing through the desert on his KTM 450 RALLY with his eyes set on success in the United Arab Emirates.

Toby Price: “Things are looking pretty good in Abu Dhabi after a really strong start to the year. It’s about four weeks until Dakar so I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike and racing. It wasn’t much of a break after an intense first round, but I felt good and was looking forward to getting started. It took me a little while to reacquaint myself with the KTM 450 RALLY and we knew we had a good motorcycle. We just needed to Let things fall into place and see what the game brings.”

Kevin Benavides was also keen to carry his winning momentum into ADDC and was in good form before the game. Unfortunately, the 34-year-old fractured his femur after a crash in the dunes while testing his KTM 450 RALLY during tuning. Benavidez is expected to make a quick and full recovery after undergoing a successful operation in Dubai and hopes to return to action as soon as possible.

Red Bull KTM’s Matthias Walkner is still recovering from a wrist injury suffered early in the Dakar Rally. The Austrian is hoping to return to racing in the third round of the World Championships in Mexico at the end of April.

The 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge kicks off with a brief prologue on Sunday 26 February, followed by five full days of racing across the region’s iconic rolling sand dunes close to the city. The race concluded on March 3rd after covering more than 2,000 kilometers.