Laia Sanz had a dominant run in her class for the Enduro GP and Trial World GP. A battle with Lyme Disease slowed her down but didn't cause her steely determination and love of racing to falter. Now back and ready to race, Sanz's next frontier won’t be with two-wheelers anymore, but four-wheelers.
Sanz announced that she will be participating in the Dakar Rally this year, effectively ending her career as a motorcycle rally racer. While she will not be riding to race, even if she is one of the most achieving female off-roaders today, Sanz will still continue riding on two wheels albeit for training purposes only.
An interview with Enduro21 sheds more light on the topic. Laia stated that “I am really very happy now though I don’t know if I will ever be 100 percent like I was before. Not because of age, but health. Sanz’s battle with Lyme disease over the past three years was daunting, stating that “the last three years have been, I don’t know how to say it… I’d come out of one issue and get into another!” She’s more or less over the disease, however, recovery has proven to be difficult. Training regularly isn’t an option either due to her health condition. That being said, Sanz does not know whether she will be able to compete on a motorcycle again, despite her desire to do so.
This season, Sanz will likely focus on Extreme-E, the electric off-road series. She’s currently in talks with GASGAS to see how exactly she and the brand will be linked with one another for the future. She’ll likely do Extreme-E because it’ll likely be too taxing on her health to do all the other series.
It’s unknown whether Laia Sanz will saddle up on a motorcycle again in the competitive scene. With enough time and recovering, hopefully, one of the most decorated female off-roaders can still twist the throttle and add another title to her name.
