A bit of shocking news in the rally raid world, as Laia Sanz has jumped ship from HRC to KTM for the Women’s Enduro World Championship.
The move means Sanz will also compete as a factory KTM rider in the various FIM World Championship rallies, including the Dakar Rally, though only where the schedule permits, as the Women’s Enduro World Championship is her racing priority.
Sanz has 13 women’s world titles to her name, and she has won Women’s Enduro World Championship for the past three years in a row.
Sanz is one of the leading women in bringing females into motorcycle racing, and she she is also an accomplished rider when competing against the boys. She finished 9th in the 2015 Dakar Rally, where she also scored a Top 5 stage finish — the highest a woman has ever achieved in the event.
“It will be amazing to be with such good riders like (Marc) Coma and (Ivan) Cervantes. I can learn a lot from them and it is very important for me. I know I am still able to improve and being with KTM is the best way to do this,” said Sanz while announcing her news from Spain.
“I grew up with a passion for trials, which is more technical but this has given me the skills I need for good Enduro riding. Now I also have a real passion for riding the Dakar. I watched it on TV when I was very young and I never imagined I would be able to compete. It is a great adventure. You have to give your best and you have to know your limits.”
Now with the backing of factory KTM team, Sanz could be a real force on the rally raid schedule, and perhaps even score her first stage win. And in the Women’s Enduro scene, she should be nearly unstoppable.
Source: KTM
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