Australian Toby Price says he’ll use the upcoming FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship as preparation for his assault at the 2019 Dakar Rally crown.

The 2016 Dakar victor, who finished third on the podium at this year’s edition, just 12 months on from a horrendous broken femur, expressed his eagerness for the opening round of the world championship this weekend in Abu Dhabi, however emphasised the goal is to remain healthy and prepared for January 2019.

“The goal for me is to stay fit and healthy and be ready for Dakar next year,” Price explained. “In the past I haven’t been 100% percent going into the Dakar, so this year I want to make sure I’m at the top of my game and do everything I can to get back on top of the podium.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike and racing in the dunes again. Straight after the Dakar I had a few weeks off to let my body recover, catch up and get back to normal.

“I’m back on the bike now though training hard and getting ready for Abu Dhabi. We expect the race to be pretty tough as it’s all ridden in the sand dunes and everyone seems to push pretty hard there. Hopefully I can get a good result and then start to look ahead to the rest of the season.”

Price will line-up alongside teammates and fellow Dakar victors Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland as part of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s bid for the world title.

The Gold Coast-based athlete has spent the last two months testing and competing in a number of auto racing championships, including the all-new SuperTrucks category that runs in conjunction with Australia’s premier series, Supercars.