Congratulations Toby Price:
Not directed at you, but a shame that it's only now mainstream news. He's been vying for the lead for the last week, and came third last year on debut.
IMHO, it's on par with Tour de France for an enduro sport - also the scenery. They are pushing themselves hard at up to 15,000 feet. Pilots, think about that. One guy this year retired blue with hypoxia.
I cheered on Toby in a stage of the Dakar live last year in the highlands of the Andes (only 13,000'). Absolutely mind-blowing. And those trucks are c-r-a-z-y.
SBS on demand has the stages. Pick the ones in the middle of the event - the scenery is better (aviation link is the aerial photography from the Squirrel B3s).
IMHO, it's on par with Tour de France for an enduro sport - also the scenery. They are pushing themselves hard at up to 15,000 feet. Pilots, think about that. One guy this year retired blue with hypoxia.
I cheered on Toby in a stage of the Dakar live last year in the highlands of the Andes (only 13,000'). Absolutely mind-blowing. And those trucks are c-r-a-z-y.
SBS on demand has the stages. Pick the ones in the middle of the event - the scenery is better (aviation link is the aerial photography from the Squirrel B3s).
I agree cs. Well said OP. 
Fantastic.
Tonight on ABC news they mentioned his accident 2 years ago where his neck was broken. I didn't realise he did the Dakar with metal rods & screws holding his head to his body.
Well done Toby
You've got my vote for Australian Sportsman of the Year.
Regards RW
A little about his accident from the Newcastle Herald
Price, who has no memory of the crash, went down in the Mojave Desert in south-eastern California racing in a round of the Hare and Hound National Championship.
Witnesses said Price, despite a heavy concussion, picked up his bike to continue before he went to the aid of another competitor who had also fallen.
Price asked where they were and complained of neck pain, at which point another rider told him to sit down.
He was flown to hospital in a helicopter. After scans, doctors rushed into Price's room to tell him not to move.
The 26-year-old had broken his C6, C7 and T1 vertebrae, leaving him perilously close to paraplegia.
If that wasn't enough, Price was told two days later he was not insured and would have to come up with $500,000 for the surgery that he needed.
The next blow came when he was told he would have to leave hospital if he could not come up with the money.
Unable to raise the cash, Price left hospital in a halo brace and spent two days lying in a hotel room with his parents by his side.
He was left with the choice of risking paraplegia on a 14-hour flight home, where his operation would be covered by insurance, or stay and let the injury heal without the proper support.
"It was a scary thing to fly back on a commercial airline with the halo system on my head and a broken neck, but that's the risk I had to take," Price said.
"I either sit over there and heal the way I was for six months then my career would be pretty much wrecked anyway.
"I just took the gamble to come back on the plane and, if things went wrong, I'd be buggered two ways.
"It was a massive risk to take, but I'd rather try to get fixed and have a go at getting back over here. Fortunately it's worked out really well."
Price arrived in Brisbane at 7am on Anzac Day and was on an operating table at Brisbane Private Hospital by 1pm.
Spinal surgeon Paul Licina inserted two rods and eight screws and fused vertebrae in Price's back to ensure he could ride again.
After seven months of rehabilitation, Price was back to full training in November and started his comeback with a second in the Day In The Dirt event in California in December.
Tonight on ABC news they mentioned his accident 2 years ago where his neck was broken. I didn't realise he did the Dakar with metal rods & screws holding his head to his body.
Well done Toby
You've got my vote for Australian Sportsman of the Year.
Regards RW
A little about his accident from the Newcastle Herald
Price, who has no memory of the crash, went down in the Mojave Desert in south-eastern California racing in a round of the Hare and Hound National Championship.
Witnesses said Price, despite a heavy concussion, picked up his bike to continue before he went to the aid of another competitor who had also fallen.
Price asked where they were and complained of neck pain, at which point another rider told him to sit down.
He was flown to hospital in a helicopter. After scans, doctors rushed into Price's room to tell him not to move.
The 26-year-old had broken his C6, C7 and T1 vertebrae, leaving him perilously close to paraplegia.
If that wasn't enough, Price was told two days later he was not insured and would have to come up with $500,000 for the surgery that he needed.
The next blow came when he was told he would have to leave hospital if he could not come up with the money.
Unable to raise the cash, Price left hospital in a halo brace and spent two days lying in a hotel room with his parents by his side.
He was left with the choice of risking paraplegia on a 14-hour flight home, where his operation would be covered by insurance, or stay and let the injury heal without the proper support.
"It was a scary thing to fly back on a commercial airline with the halo system on my head and a broken neck, but that's the risk I had to take," Price said.
"I either sit over there and heal the way I was for six months then my career would be pretty much wrecked anyway.
"I just took the gamble to come back on the plane and, if things went wrong, I'd be buggered two ways.
"It was a massive risk to take, but I'd rather try to get fixed and have a go at getting back over here. Fortunately it's worked out really well."
Price arrived in Brisbane at 7am on Anzac Day and was on an operating table at Brisbane Private Hospital by 1pm.
Spinal surgeon Paul Licina inserted two rods and eight screws and fused vertebrae in Price's back to ensure he could ride again.
After seven months of rehabilitation, Price was back to full training in November and started his comeback with a second in the Day In The Dirt event in California in December.
Toby last year at San Antonio de las Cobres, Argentina. 3800m altitude. He came third.
And my favourite pic of the day, (I took lots...)
As I said about the trucks. This thing was flying....
And my favourite pic of the day, (I took lots...)
As I said about the trucks. This thing was flying....
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Measuring Stick:
Rotor Work:
Gosh, I was not aware of the trauma Toby had to go through to make it to the top. He goes up another rung on my ladder to be with those modern day road warriors like Mick Doohan, Barry Sheene, Valentino Rossi, and the Isle of Man stalwarts John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey.
There was a TV segment on Dakar 2016 showing Toby raising dust on what was virtually a long straight bush track. His speed was shown as 173 kph which must have been assessed by the camera carrying helicopter that was struggling to keep up with him.
Today's society (dare I use the word decadent) badly need people like Toby Price and his ilk. They provide a measuring stick.
O.P.
compressor stall:
Nice photograph of Toby on the bike. I understand the reason he is standing up is to get the C of G lower and this enhances control when on rough ground.
O.P.
Gosh, I was not aware of the trauma Toby had to go through to make it to the top. He goes up another rung on my ladder to be with those modern day road warriors like Mick Doohan, Barry Sheene, Valentino Rossi, and the Isle of Man stalwarts John McGuinness and Bruce Anstey.
There was a TV segment on Dakar 2016 showing Toby raising dust on what was virtually a long straight bush track. His speed was shown as 173 kph which must have been assessed by the camera carrying helicopter that was struggling to keep up with him.
Today's society (dare I use the word decadent) badly need people like Toby Price and his ilk. They provide a measuring stick.
O.P.
compressor stall:
Nice photograph of Toby on the bike. I understand the reason he is standing up is to get the C of G lower and this enhances control when on rough ground.
O.P.
"Very impressive achievement, but WTF has it to do with aviation?"
Congratulations to Toby Price on his well accomplished major achievement.
But 27/09 and aroa are sure correct. That's nothing to do with General Aviation.
(There was me thinking that only Mr Richard Smith could have a fan thread here on PPRuNe: 'The Pacific: General Aviation & Questions.')
Wrong again!
Congratulations to Toby Price on his well accomplished major achievement.
But 27/09 and aroa are sure correct. That's nothing to do with General Aviation.
(There was me thinking that only Mr Richard Smith could have a fan thread here on PPRuNe: 'The Pacific: General Aviation & Questions.')
Wrong again!
Last edited by gerry111; 18th Jan 2016 at 13:18.
