En a year in which the women’s sport has been trending topic, especially in Spain, one of the disciplines in which equal opportunities have been most promoted, rally-raidshows the advancement of women in motorsport.
In the next edition of Dakar There will be more examples of this: from all-female truck crews (the Ladies Team De Rooy with Anja Van Loon, Marije Van Ettekoven and Floor Maten) or in SSV (Annett Quandt and Annie Seel), to a team completely led by two women in the premier category: the Astara Team espaol.
Sanz will compete in his 14th Dakar… and he has completed them all.
Laia Sanz, with leadership stripes
Laia Sanztheir leader, is the standard bearer of all Dakarian women (with 13 participations, all of them completed). The woman who has achieved the best result in the history of motorcycle competition (9th place), she continues to fight for the opportunity to repeat it in cars.
This year, for the first time, it is team leader, has a better machine than the 2023 one, although at a technical disadvantage over the best cars in the race. However, he already demonstrated last year that can be in the top 30and even higher, despite piloting a two wheel drive buggy.
But beyond the results, his work pioneerone of those who pave the way for other women, is unquestionable: “I had to live through a more complicated stage, crush a lot of stone. Now It is normal that there are more girls in any category and even in roles that are not pilots and it costs them a little less. There is still a lot to do, but I have helped somewhat in that…and I’m excited to see this change,” he assures MARCA.
Pita and Sanz will make up the only duo of drivers in the premier category.
Laia as referent
One of those has followed in his footsteps (and who knows if the road has been a little easier thanks to her) she is his teammate Patricia ‘Pato’ Pita. The Uruguayan was the first female to compete in a rally in her country.
“Laia has been a reference, for being a woman and coming from rallies. And I have already verified that she is a great team leader. It is always difficult for a pilot to get on someone’s right, especially with me, who has less experience. But he did it, he gave me advice…it was a gesture that I give a lot of value to“, recognize.
Each one will face a different Dakar: Sanz will go all outin his fight to have a ‘black leg’ car in his hands sooner rather than later (the long-awaited T1+), while Pita faces his first Dakar in cars with the aim of achieving what he couldn’t do in his debut (which was with a side by side): complete it.
Pita debuts with the Spanish team, while Laia faces her second year.
But both, each at their own level, are inspiration for others to come: “Laia told me that on some occasion they approached her to tell her that They had named their daughter Laia after her.“explains ‘Pato’, who has experienced similar situations of affection in his country: “It also happens to me in Uruguay that Girls who want to be rally drivers say I’m their idol…and when I was a child my idols were all men. That’s the most important thing, the path that is opening to the othersthat they see it possible to be here.”
Laia Sanz’s complaint
Laia Sanz has lived in the flesh, and publicly denounced in her book ‘He who has the will has the strength’episodes of discrimination because of her status as a woman. Therefore, it is an authorized voice to give an opinion on the ‘Rubiales Case’which has meant so much to Spanish women’s sport in 2023 that it has just closed.
“It was a bit of a shame because they stopped talking about sporting success because of other things that happened, which I don’t go into,” he explains to MARCA, before launching a statement for reflection: “All the women We have dedicated ourselves to sports, and I have been there for many years, We have had to live many unpleasant experiencesbut in the end through work I have earned my place, with sporting results.”
Sanz and Pita will pilot a more powerful Century turbo than last year.
Sanz stays with that, with that triumph: “Winning the World Cup has been inspiring. What the National Team has done or what the women’s Barca is doing [Laia es una cul confesa], He is inspiring a lot of people and that is good.“The other thing that happened was very negative, but I stay with that part.”
