KTM's Toby Price set the fastest time in the 13km prologue of the special stage for bikes on a loop that kicks off Dakar 2023 from the shores of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia.
Tenth in the final standings in 2022, the Australian won in 8 minutes and 22 seconds, one second ahead of his compatriot Daniel Sanders (GasGas) and nine seconds ahead of Botswana rider Ross Branch (Hero).
The winner of the 2022 edition the Briton Sam Sunderland (GasGas) finished 10th more than 13 seconds from the first in the prologue destined to determine the starting order of tomorrow's next stage for the top ten.
The first Frenchman, Adrien Van Beveren, took 17th place.
Dakar-2023, the first round of the rally-raid world championship, will cover over 8,000km in two weeks over the sands and canyons of Saudi Arabia before arriving on January 15 on the east coast, in Damman.