Laia Sanz

She is a Spanish trial, Enduro and rally-raid driver, a 13-time trial world champion and a 5-time Enduro world champion. She has also finished the Dakar Rally ten times, winning in the women’s motorbike category each time. In 2015, she came in ninth overall, the best female result in history.
 

RACING STATISTICS

Beginning with the most recent:

2021 - In 2021 Dakar Rally, Laia shows an incredible strength because she races still recovering from Lyme Disease. Nonetheless, she manages to finish in a fantastic 17th overall. This is the 11th time she achieves the win in Female class.

2020 - In 2020 Dakar Rally, Laia finishes 18th overall.

2019 - Laia finishes again 12th overall in Dakar Rally. She wins again in the Female classification.

2018 - Laia finishes 12th overall in Dakar Rally, and wins the Female Class one more time.

2017 - Despite not being able to revalidate her Enduro World Champion title due to an engine breakdown problem, expands her list of achievements at the end of her seventh consecutive Dakar, becoming the woman who has completed more times the hardest race all over the world in motorbikes. Luckily this year, she can celebrate the individual victory at ISDE. On her KTM Rally 450, Laia reappears at Morocco Rally getting an excellent 8th position after a great race where she reaches the 3rd position during the second stage.

2016 - Laia wins her 18th World Championship (5th in Enduro) and debuts at ISDE. She finished Dakar in a very good 15th position, even with fever and dizziness. With a great spirit of improvement, adds her fifth Enduro World Championship title. Laia also gets a fought second position at ISDE in both individual and team categories, and takes part for the first time in several Cross Country World Championship races with good results.

2015 - A successful season for Laia. She gets and incredible 9th overall position at Dakar, wins her fourth Enduro World title and her fourth gold medal at the X Games in Austin (USA). Along the year takes part in Baja Aragón, Rally TransAnatolia, Morocco Rally and Merouga Rally, achieving good results.

2014 - Being the undisputed queen of female trial, decides to focus in Enduro and Rally Dakar. This gives her the chance to reach her third World Enduro Championship and fourth Dakar Female Trophy. Laia participates in Morocco and Merzouga Rally as HRC official rider, getting brilliant results in both races and finishing first in one stage of Merzouga. In auto racing, together with Francesc Gutiérrez, became the first team in Spain to overcome a 24 hours race with only two drivers.

2013 - Takes part for the first time at the X Games winning 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal within the four appointments of the season. Gets again the triple win of the previous year, even experiencing a difficult and hard Dakar.

2012 - Laia wins her first Enduro World Championship, suffering from an open fracture ot the big toe during the last round of the championship. She also revalidates both trial and Dakar first female titles.

2011 - Laia’s biggest dream comes true and debuts at Rally Dakar with an exceptional demonstration of talent and strength. She comes back home with the female Trophy and the worldwide recognition in this race, completely new for her.

2010 - Fantastic season in which she gets the triplet and makes her debut at the Enduro World Championship to prepare her major goal: the Dakar Rally.

2009 - Continues with her good results and gets a new double. Laia also finishes 3rd at the Spanish Championship TR2.

2008 - After a bittersweet previous season, in 2008 signs again an excellent year in which she wins both World champion and European title, as well as the Female Nations Trial Competition.

2007 - After seven consecutive World champion titles, her major rival Iris Kramer takes over. She was second, with the same amount of points of the winner.

2006 - Laia wins the Female Trial World Champion title for the seventh time in a row.

2005 - Being the only girl of the competition, she enters the podium in 3 occasions at the World Junior Championship and sums on more double.

2004 - Laia signs for the team Montesa Repsol HRC and one of her new teammates is Dougui Lampkin, Laia’s idol. For the third consecutive year achieves both Women World and European titles.

2003 - Laia starts to take part at some races of the World Junior Championship to improve her level and decides to turn into professional rider and dedicate full time to trial. Gets her second double in Women’s category. Among the awards received, the most important is the Best Catalan sportswoman one together with Gemma Mengual.

2002 - Third at the Spanish Junior Championship. She reaches her third World Champion title in Women’s category. Moreover, Laia wins her first Women’s Trial European Championship, giving her the first of the five consecutive doubles she will achieve. She also gets the Female Nations Trial Competition with the Spanish team.

2001 - Laia participates at Men Trial World Championship. She does some rounds of the Trial World Championship to learn and help Josep Manzano and Toni Bou. Revalidates Women’s World Champion title.

2000 - Wins the National Youth Championship. She was the only girl in a competition with categories basically focused to boys. That is why no one before had seen her as an opponent up to date. Laia completes one of her best seasons by winning the first edition of Women’s Trial World Championship and Female Nations Trial Competition at 14.

1999 - Third place at the Spanish Youth Championship. Closes the Championship in a great 3rd position and asks for permit for missing one afternoon per week at school to train.

1998 - After some years riding the Catalan competition, Laia participated for the first time at the Spanish Championship getting the 9th place and being the only girl in the competition. That year also took part of the first non-official Female European Championship. Although she was only 12 years old, she reached better results than her rivals, much older than her.

1997 - First victory in male categories in a 80cc trial bike. That same season took part for the first time in a female trial where raced with 50 girls of around the world.

TITLES WON

• 13 times Women’s Trial World Champion (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
• 10 times Women’s Trial Europan Champion (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
• 6 titles Female Nations Trial Competition (2000, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012)
• 11 times Women’s Trophy at Rally Dakar (motorbikes) (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• 5 times Women’s Enduro World Champion (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
• 4 gold medals at Women’s Enduro X, X Games (2013, 2015)
• 1 silver medal at Women’s Enduro X, X Games (2013)
• 9th absolute position in Dakar 2015 (motorbikes)