Outstanding Dakar rookie Toby Price has maintained his position inside the top five of the world’s biggest off-road race, despite a navigational error in the race’s ninth stage from Iquique to Calama overnight.

Price was one of a number of riders to make the error at about the 360km mark of the day’s special stage, losing some 23 minutes to stage winner Helder Rodrigues, who won from Paolo Goncalves and Marc Coma.

Toby Price: “This morning was going well and we were making up ground. I made a small navigational error in the sand but I got on top of it. We were about one minute off the lead at the first CP but then we went into the fesh-fesh area and it was really tough.

“Then at about the 360km mark there was a waypoint and we all got lost and the other guys made up ground. It was frustrating to lose time there but I am happy we’re here. As long as we can get to the finish line, that’s the main goal. But if we can stay in the top five that’s even better.”

The Australian KTM 450 Rally rider finished eighth for the stage, but made a small amount of ground on Chilean Pablo Qunitanilla, who currently stands between the Australian Off-Road Champion and a spectacular podium position in his maiden Dakar.

KTM’s defending Dakar Rally champion Marc Coma has extended his lead in the 14-day 9000+ kilometre epic which traverses Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

Tomorrow’s 10th stage crossing from Chile back to Argentina will be big in several senses, with 891 total kilometres and a special stage starting on the Salinas Grandes at more than 3600 metres above sea level, before a 135km liaison route back to bivouac follows the Paso de l’Acay at an astonishing altitude of 4970 metres.