RALLY RACER LAIA SANZ
P76
Interview
"The sport is changing. In 10
years, the level has grown a
lot. Everybody is so profes-
sional. Also, it's really inter-
esting because many riders
from other sports are coming.
Good motocross and enduro
riders are coming to rallies.
Many world rally champions
are coming to rallies. Now the
level is so high, it's so profes-
sional. In the bikes the level is
so high. Before some stages
the riders were more about
the strategy, but now are just
full gas. It's like a motocross
race during all the start.
"It's changing also because
there is less and less naviga-
tion. Especially this year it
was quite strange because
for sure it was the fastest
Dakar I ever did. I think too
much. Of course, guys like
Ricky [Brabec] and Toby
[Price], that they are used to
places like Baja, they are so
fast in these conditions, but
before the racing was more
navigated. Everybody was
more on the strategy, some-
times they slowed down. Now
it's always full gas.
"I think in rally it's not only
about going flat out. I think it
needs to be more navigated.
Also, then it's less danger-
ous. I think in rally it's not only
about speed and about being
crazy on the gas all the time,
it's also about navigation,
about strategy, about thinking
[about] the bike. Also, I think
in South America, we were
used to Dakar being really
THE
CHANGING
FACE OF
RALLY
RACING
technical also on the riding.
You have to take care about
the bike a lot because it was
really easy to crash and break
things. Here [in Saudi Arabia]
this year it was more about
top speed. For me, I didn't
enjoy this so much because
I'm more used to technical
places. I enjoy more the
navigation. These conditions
were difficult for me because
I'm not used to this kind of
race."
