BARCELONA, 22 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The rider Laia Sanz is looking forward to her first Dakar Rally in the car category, after eleven consecutive editions culminated on a motorcycle and with an absolute ninth place as the best position, for which she considered that she is “novice” and that she starts from scratch but with a very competitive Mini X-raid car with which he hopes to make a smart race to be able to finish the toughest rally of the year.
“I have the stomach ache of the first year in the previous days. I have the advantage of previous experience in the race, I know where I am going. But when I go by car there are many new things that I do not know, that I will find, and I have more stomach pain than in previous years on a motorcycle. I was a veteran and now I am a rookie because many things change, “he acknowledged at a press conference.
The Corbera de Llobregrat will face its twelfth Dakar Rally but, being the first in cars, it does so with some caution and that goal of finishing, so as not to break the good and historic streak of finishing all its Dakar on motorcycles. “Eleven Dakar on a motorcycle are also heavy, they are very demanding. With age you become more aware of the danger, in Arabia more because of the type of stages. I am increasingly aware of what you are at stake,” he acknowledged.
“I think this is the natural step for a motorcycle rider in the Dakar, it is a very good way to start a new stage in the race. Everything has encouraged me to take this step,” he commented on changing the two wheels for the two. four wheels. “Starting from scratch, what has been achieved on motorcycles is of no use. There is much left to think about winning, the goal is to gain experience, finish this Dakar, which is always very easy and I hope not to break the statistics and continue finishing the Dakar,” he predicted. face to this Dakar 2022 that begins on Sunday, January 2.
“The first objective is to finish and not break the very good statistics that I have now. But when a rider puts on the helmet he is competitive and wants to do well, we will try to improve the classification every day. The first days we will take it easy, and that’s it. We will see. But we will want to give gas. In Hail we did parts of the stage with a lot of rhythm, and if we don’t mix it up, we could have a good Dakar, “he explained.
Laia Sanz makes her debut in cars with a MINI ALL4Racing from the Primax X-raid team, a luxury car for a ‘rookie’ like her. “I always said that if I took the step to cars it had to be with guarantees, because in cars there are many differences that do not depend on the driver. It was important to go with a good, competitive car, and this X-raid Mini is perfect. very calm, “he was sincere.
And it will have as co-pilot another motorcycle rider with experience in the Dakar, the Italian Maurizio Gerini, after previously making his debut with Lucas Cruz. “It was not easy to find a good co-pilot. As the navigation was increasingly complicated, I was looking for someone who had some idea of mechanics and I began to think of a motorcycle pilot, listening to the advice of Lucas Cruz (his first co-pilot in first tests Maurizio sails well, he doesn’t fall too much, and I have a good ‘feeling’ with him. He is a very positive guy, and the perfect person to start this journey, “he said.
Together they debuted at the last Hail Rally, in Saudi Arabia, on a stage through which this Dakar Rally will pass. “It was a super positive experience, it was very important to run this rally because it is the same place where we will race in the Dakar and we will be able to adapt. Also to understand many things about the car very well, which improved a lot on the last day compared to the first. And it was It is important to race with Maurizio, who comes from the bike like me. We are very comfortable, but we need kilometers and we were more comfortable on the last day, too, “he acknowledged.
“I expect a Dakar similar to the previous two in Saudi Arabia, but with several kilometers of dunes every day. I expect a complicated navigation and this can be good for us if we are smart and can adapt the speed to the navigation. I expect a tough Dakar but yes we are smart and we do not rush and we want to run too much we can do a good Dakar “, predicted the Catalan rider.
“I know the Dakar and cars do not work very differently from motorcycles. This first year you have to start calmly, be smart, there will soon be a marathon stage and you will have to take care of the car. You will have to go from less to more, be more cautious and start calm, “he added, in this regard.
On a personal level, she is also in her best moment since in 2020 she began an ordeal with Lyme disease, from which she has already recovered. “I am fine, healthy. 2020 and the first part of 2021 were very hard but now I am grateful to be well. Not yet at the level of 2019, but happy to have energy. I have achieved the World Enduro and Trial World Championship this year, I have not stopped, and at the moment I am not complaining, “he celebrated.