The most extreme race in the world is no longer foreign to women. Of the nearly 500 participants who started this 2018 Dakar Rally, 11 are female. And many of them are showing that they are not here just to participate, but to compete on equal terms with the best.
One of them is Laia Sanz (KTM), a Spanish rider who competes in the motorcycle category and who in the 2015 Dakar Rally managed to finish ninth in the final classification. In this edition, the competitor has managed to overcome the first seven stages of the race, overcoming the harsh Peruvian desert and the adverse Bolivian terrain.
"It has been a very tough and physical stage, with a lot of mud and complicated, but happy to arrive without problems on the bike. The altitude here in Bolivia, for those of us who are not used to it, is complicated because it makes the stages even more physically difficult, especially the mud, which has been complicated," said Sanz to RPP.
Her desire
Laia Sanz is 35 years old and has already competed in eight Dakar Rallies. She currently holds the ninth position overall. She revealed her desire for more women to join this type of competition. Let's remember that we also have a female representative from Peru, Fernanda Kanno.
"I hope that more women will dare to participate, I think we need a little time. But there are more and more young girls who ride motorcycles or do motor sports, so in a few years I hope to see more women in the Dakar," she explained.
Peruvian territory
The Spanish athlete, who was awarded the best Spanish sportswoman in 2017, also talked about the Peruvian territory, revealing her fascination with the desert and dunes of our country. She wants the Dakar Rally to continue being held here.
"I loved it, the truth is that it has been a very beautiful part of the Dakar. When I came in 2012 and 2013, I liked it very much and I hope we continue to see Peru in the Dakar," she concluded.
