If you enjoy adrenaline and speed in sports, you probably already know the career of Laia Sanz, also known as The queen of the desert: a real trial, enduro and rally machine. She has been world trial champion thirteen times, world enduro champion five times and has completed the Dakar Rally eleven times, where she beat her rivals in the women's category, achieving the best female result in history.
Although Laia started out in motorcycling when it was exclusively practiced by men, her effort and perseverance never stopped her desire to make a name for herself in the sport. She has been able to encourage many women to get into motorcycling and has also shown that her talent is just as recognizable as that of a man who practices the same discipline. If you want to find out more about some interesting facts about the personal and professional life of the world enduro and trial champion, keep reading to find out.
1. Where and when was Laia Sanz born?
The world champion in enduro and trial was born on December 11, 1985 in Corbera de Llobregat, Barcelona. It was there that, at just four years old, she got on her brother's bike and began to realize that the world of motorcycling really attracted her. Despite having grown up in Corbera de Llobregat, when Laia became independent she moved to Seva, a very quiet municipality located in the Osona region, Barcelona.
2. At what age did you win your first race?
It was 1997 when Laia took part in her first men's championship with an 80cc bike and won it, but it was not until a year later, in 1998, when the Catalan entered the first European Women's Trial Championship (unofficial at that time), where she again took the victory. Laia was only 13 years old and had already competed against great opponents much older than her and with a long career, but even so, this did not stop her and she managed to rise to number one position in said competition. It was at this moment that she decided that trial was her great passion and she signed up for the Spanish Trial Championship, becoming the only female participant in it.
3. What is the race that has given you the most satisfaction?
As the Catalan has confessed in several interviews for national media, the championship that has given her the most satisfaction and one of the best memories of her career was the National Men's Trial Championship in 2000, where, in addition to being the only female participant, she won in the cadet category against great opponents. It was from that moment that Laia began to see herself as a great rival in the competitions she attended, and in addition, that victory marked a before and after in her sporting career. In that same year she came first in the women's world championship and second in the women's European trial championship and all her achievements began to be significant for professional sport.
4. When did you make your debut in enduro?
Despite being considered a novice in this discipline, the Catalan entered the women's enduro world championship at the age of 24, where her inexperience was not a problem and the Catalan finished third. This was a decisive step for the Catalan, who two years later would be making her debut in the Dakar Rally, a great dream for her since she was very young.After this first test in enduro, Laia won her first title in this modality in 2012, winning the women's world championship held in Italy. After this first victory, she went on to win four more, becoming a five-time world enduro winner in her category.
5. What was your first Dakar Rally?
In 2012, after having been world champion in enduro and trial on numerous occasions, Laia Sanz fulfilled her great dream: to participate in the Dakar Rally held in Chile and Argentina. She did so with the help of her trainer and former pilot Jordi Arcarons, who, in addition to instructing her, managed to get her to 39th place with very good feelings. After this first Dakar came another ten, where she managed to position herself ninth in 2015 and break the record, making this the best result for a woman in the Dakar Rally.
According to the pilot, there are many details such as the mechanics to hold on or the danger that there is. We are talking about many kilometers of travel that can make you fall at any moment. Sanz counted the kilometers he has traveled in total and added up to 80,000.
When she reached the final, she was given a 5,000 euro trophy, unlike Kevin Benavides, another Dakar champion, who received 50,000. For the driver, it is not a case of discrimination, as she did not do “well enough”, according to her statements. However, she admitted that she would like the difference not to be so great. Sainz is proud not only of her awards but of having paved the way for all women in the world of motorsports. At the beginning of her career, she only competed against boys and created tensions every time she beat them. She says that, since then, little by little, the career of women in these sports has been advancing without being looked down upon.
6. Where did your first car race take place?
After having been crowned world champion in enduro and trial on several occasions and having successfully completed several Dakar Rallies, Laia Sanz wanted to enter the world of motorsport with Francesc Gutiérrez, a driver with whom she participated in the first 24-hour endurance race held in Spain in 2014. The team took 12th place and also won the A3T category with a Seat León Cup Racer. Both have confessed that it was a high-calibre mental and physical challenge that required a lot of preparation, concentration and dedication. Laia also participated individually in the Seat Eurocup, in the Barcelona RX of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and in the 500km of Alcañiz.
7. What happened at the 2016 Dakar Rally?
Laia Sanz took part in the Dakar Rally in Argentina and Bolivia with tonsillitis that forced her to ride with fever, nausea and dizziness. As a result, and due to her physical condition, the Catalan suffered a fall that caused a sprain of ligaments in her collarbone. Despite the difficulties, Laia did not abandon the race and finished in fifteenth position. The world champion of enduro and trial confessed after this Dakar Rally that she cannot throw in the towel at the first difficulty that appears, because that is what the Dakar is about; it is a tough competition in which the bar cannot be lowered.
8. What was the worst moment in Laia Sanz’s life?
In an interview he did for Eloi Vila he confessed that the hardest moment of his life was when she suddenly fell ill due to an inflammation of a heart valve that prevented her from getting out of bed for three months.She admitted on the TV3 programme that it was the most difficult stage of her life because she was afraid of not recovering. Luckily, after a few months of rest and medical instructions, Laia Sanz came through and recovered in a matter of weeks.
9. What awards has Laia Sanz won?
In addition to the medals and trophies she has won in trial, enduro and rally competitions, the Catalan has won multiple awards from newspapers, magazines and clubs since she began to stand out as an elite athlete. In 2007 she was awarded the Reina Sofía National Sports Prize and in 2013 she received the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit, the most important title in Spanish sport.
10. Did she date Jaume Betriu?
Laia Sanz had a close relationship with Jaume Betriu, the Spanish champion in this discipline. Both participated together in the 2020 Dakar Rally held in Saudi Arabia, where Laia won in the women's category and he managed to take the position of best enduro rookie in the marathon category. In an interview they did after the Dakar, they confessed to having enjoyed the experience very much, but they also stated that it was hard to witness the difficulties of both of them live and in person.
For the moment, the pilot wants to rest and not force her body, so she is not thinking about Dakar 2022. However, the athlete's desire and competitive attitude lead her to dream of fulfilling new dreams, which she will face in a much more conscious way.
There is no doubt that Laia Sanz's career is inspiring and brilliant. She fought for her dreams from a very young age and faced great gender differences that did not prevent her from standing out among men and women. After having been world champion in trials and enduro on multiple occasions and having broken the record for the best position for women in the 2015 Dakar Rally, the Catalan has more than proven that she deserves all the titles she holds and that dedication and will are two of the most important maxims for achieving dreams.
