Laia Sanz: "This year has been extremely tough"

Rider Laia Sanz admits that her numbers “scare” her, 13 world trial titles and 2 enduro titles. She also gives great credit to this season, in which she has had to juggle both disciplines with a privately run team.

Sanz arrived home this Monday after a historic weekend and after adding her 13th world trial title and 2nd enduro title, achievements that join the Dakar and the three X Games golds also won this year. After a long road trip from the French town of Saint-Flour, the rider held a welcome press conference at the Museu Colet in Barcelona, alongside Iván Tibau, Secretary General of Sport of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Josep Maria Lloreda, President of the company KH Lloreda.

-15 world titles, the same as Giacomo Agostini. Can you believe it?

It sounds big, yes. I still haven’t taken it in… I suppose in a few days I’ll realize what I’ve achieved. It hasn’t been easy, even if some people might think so. When you’ve won for so many years, people assume you’ll win easily, although in a way they want another rider to win so there’s some variety. The truth is that it gets harder every time, because the rivals are stronger.

Don’t you get tired of piling up trophies?

I never think about figures or records, although when I look back the numbers are frightening and make me feel great. It’s a real honor to be compared with a legend like Giacomo Agostini… but what matters is that I have a great time training and competing. I feel fortunate doing what I do, and that’s why I’m so motivated. Still, I’m increasingly clear that I need to focus on a single discipline, because it’s very hard to cover everything.

Enduro and trial are two very different disciplines. Which title do you value more?

Both riding and preparation are very different in the two disciplines. At the start of the year I thought I could only compete in the enduro world championship, but what began as a joke has become reality, and not only was I able to race both, I was able to win both. It has been extremely tough, although what matters is that in the end everything came together. If I have to single out one of the two titles, I confess the trial one means more to me, first because I didn’t have it in mind this season and, second, because I’m starting to get older for this discipline, the rivals are younger and they press hard.

And all this without a factory bike and with a privately run team…

Yes, I’ve had to worry about far more than just competing, and that’s why it has been a very complicated year. Luckily I’ve had people with me, like KH-7, who helped me enormously to race without a factory bike. In trial I competed with my bike from two years ago, and in enduro with several different ones, including one lent to me by a friend. Winning with a privately run team carries even more merit, and I’m proud of it. Just last night I even had to drive the van myself for many kilometers to get home from France. Things like that make you value your successes much more.

You haven’t lacked support, either here or in the United States…

I’m very happy with all the people I’ve worked with this year-end, both in Europe with trial and enduro, and in America, where they have also helped me enormously. You don’t always get the chance to train with riders like Johnny Campbell in the United States, at the level there is over there. It was an incredible experience that has helped me improve a lot, as well as taking part in the X Games.

Next challenge?

I’m exhausted after a crazy weekend. I need to disconnect for a week and recover physically so I can start preparing for the 2014 Dakar in full shape. It’s an event I love, one where I have a lot of experience, and this year I hope to prepare better than ever. After 13 titles, I’ve reached the top in trial, and I admit that now I find new motivation in enduro races and the Dakar.

What can you tell us about the Dakar project?

Not much. The Dakar costs a lot of money, and we’re working to go with a very good team and a good bike. I can’t give more details yet, but I hope it won’t be a project just for the Dakar, but also for the whole 2014 enduro season.

Source | Laia Sanz press