'Chucky' will compete in his third Dakar next year and despite being home for the holidays, thoughts of the desert are already playing on his mind.
“You’re at Christmas time with the family and you’re thinking about getting out into the desert and going high speeds where there’s nothing else out there but you, the competitors and the Dakar Rally with the trophy at the end," Sanders told SBS Sport.
The 28-year-old flew out of the blocks in his 2021 debut, just missing out on the podium in the bikes category with a fourth-place finish to go along with top rookie honours.
Dakar 2022 started out much the same, until a horrible crash on Day 7 saw his race take a turn for the worse.
"I went in, won two or three stages and then sitting third in the bike category on the rest day," Sanders recalled.
"Day 7 I crashed in the morning on the road section at 4am in the dark. Didn’t see this U-turn in the middle of the freeway and hit it at 100km an hour with my body. I beat up my body and shattered my elbow really bad, that put me out of the race."
Five elbow surgeries and just one race back on the bike later, a weary Sanders will go to to the desert this year opting for a more cautious approach to re-adjust to the harsh terrain and host of new rules being introduced.
“I’m going to go as the tortoise in the race and start off slow and steady," Sanders said. "Just push it through to the end and hopefully pick up the pace and get back in the rhythm to process everything. It’ll be a bit more relaxed going in."
Organisers ASO will incorporate two different road books for special stages and time bonuses for stage winners, while the race has also been extended by two days.
"They’re trying to make it a little more even and better for the faster riders and trying to reward the riders who win stages to open the next day so it’s going to be a little more tricky," Sanders said of the time bonuses.
"I think for me coming in a little more unprepared I won’t be as stressed on the rules and all the competition, it’s going to be a big year with all the changes. Especially the extra two days.”
While taking it slow at the start could run the risk of dropping in the rankings early, Sanders is still dreaming of a podium place but said finishing the two weeks in Saudi Arabia will be a huge achievement on its own.
“We always want a podium in the race but the elbow has taken five surgeries this year and I haven’t had much time on the bike," he conceded.
"It’ll be important to finish for me, that’s the first thing I want to do. This race is really tough, easily the toughest of my career and the biggest challenge mentally as well.
"But I'm looking forward to it because I do love a good challenge. I'll try and get a couple of stage wins - if I can do that after the year I've had I'll be pretty stoked."
SBS and SBS On Demand will air extended highlights of every stage in Saudi Arabia, with coverage commencing on January 2.
