Defending Dakar Rally champion Toby Price says staying in contention for the first week and then making a charge in the second was the key to victory in the world's toughest endurance motorsport race.
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While Price is the defending champion the 8000km race is completely different proposition being staged in Saudi Arabia after the past 11 years in South America.
The 32-year-old, who is now based on the Gold Coast after growing up in Singleton and living at Maitland, said the wrist injury he carried in last year's event had healed well.
"The wrist has healed up really well. Unfortunately, I've lost a little bit of movement to the wrist. It's manageable, we're able to still ride the motorcycle and still go full gas," he said.
"Every Dakar has a different strategy. We don't know really how to play this one out at the moment, so you've just got to make sure you stay there, in contention, and be there in the first week and make it to the rest day, and then hopefully you're in a good position to charge in the second week.
"It's gonna be a big challenge out here, the desert's gonna be really hard to navigate.
"The guys are stronger and stronger and the manufacturers are putting so much into it.
"Hopefully KTM can add another win, which is nineteen. There's like 12 to 15 guys that can win the race, it's exciting."
Sunday's first stage of the 2020 rally from Jeddah to Al Wajh covers 433km, including a 319km special section.
The Maitland Mercury will have daily updates online of stage results and overall standings.
