The brand officially debuts at the largest rally in the world, supporting the work of the Step by Step foundation and promoting the tourism brand ‘Catalunya’.
After more than twenty-five years of history, successes and recognitions in the world of trial and enduro, For the first time in 2012, Gas Gas will face the challenge of participating as a brand in the toughest and most important off-road race at an international level: the Dakar.
The team that the Catalan firm has put together to face the next edition of the mythical rally by lands of Argentina, Chile and Peru it is made up of the latest addition to its ranks, the multiple World and European trial champion -as well as current winner of the Dakar in Women’s-, Laia Sanz, as well as the experienced enduro and rally rider Marc Guasch. The common goal of both will be To lay the foundations for a project that will strengthen the firm and deepen its international positioning, but also act as ambassadors for the two main travel companions who have joined Gas Gas in this new adventure, the Foundation Step by Step, whose activity focuses on the rehabilitation and research of spinal cord injury and the Catalan Tourism Agency, which will see the ‘Catalonia’ brand as an international Catalan tourist destination reinforced through the Dakar.
In the purely sporting section, throughout the two weeks of competition that will separate the departure from Mar del Plata on January 1st and the arrival in Lima on the 15th, Laia will have Marc’s support to try to revalidate the victory she achieved in the last edition of the race. To this end, both will have 450 cc motorcycles with Yamaha engines.firm with which Gas Gas maintains a close collaboration at the
of supply of engines for the enduro models – prepared and developed over the last few months by the Girona Competition Department with the complicity of many of the partners with whom the brand usually collaborates. The structure will be completed by a technical team, a physiotherapist and an assistance truck.
In this edition of the rally, the riders of the motorcycle category will have to cover a total of 8,363 kilometres, more than half of which will be timed. Despite the novelty of entering Peru, which will become the 27th country through which the rally passes throughout its 32-year history, the organization has already advanced that the sand and dunes will be the main protagonists, starting with the complicated Argentinian region of Fiambalá, continuing through the majestic Chilean Atacama Desert and ending in the infinite cordons that follow it in Peruvian territory.
Although this will be Gas Gas’ first official experience in the Dakar, the brand had previously collaborated with other projects for the race, as well as having participated in several rounds of the TT World Rally Championship. The most recent and far-reaching experience came in 2009, when the Dutch Gas Gas Desert team prepared four units of the EC 515 FSR with which Rob Verstegen, Harm Boezeroy, Walter van Sinten and the Valencian Julián Villarubia participated in the Dakar. It was precisely the rider from Requena who achieved the best role of the group, finishing in thirty-second position and achieving the objective of taking a Gas Gas until the end of the race.
With its official debut in the world of rallying, the company takes another step forward in the challenge it set itself three years ago, when it bet on passion and a job well done as weapons to return to the world forefront among off-road brands. Once again, and the improvement of the whole team has made it possible.
Laia Sanz: “It’s a challenge and a great opportunity for me to be able to participate with a house brand in the most important rally in the world. My arrival at Gas Gas has been very recent and we have not been able to work much with the bike, but this time I have a little more experience, I am well prepared in terms of navigation and the team has thrown itself into the project, so we have taken an important step forward”.
Marc Guasch: “The Gas Gas project was exciting from the outset and is a great opportunity for any pilot. In addition to the motivation to develop a new bike, the fact that we can help Laia achieve the win makes it even more attractive.”
Honours:
Laia Sanz
Corbera (Barcelona), 1985
11 Women’s Trial World Championships
10 European Women’s Trial Championships
5 victories in the Women’s Trial of Nations
1 Dakar victory in Women
2 runners-up in the Women’s Enduro World Championship
Marc Guasch
La Garriga (Barcelona), 1973
1 Spanish Junior Enduro Championship
1 victory in the Baja Aragón
1 Spanish Gravel Rally Championship
1 Spanish Off-Road Rally Championship
2 runners-up in Spain in gravel rallies
Text and photos: Gas Gas
