and Trial merge into a single concept for a short and intense space of 15 days since the 2011 edition, when our most international rider, Laia Sanz, embarked on the most ambitious project of her life and achieved a victory as a novice in the toughest motor race in the world. There are many of you who have been following Laia Sanz’s adventure since Trialworld.es, so in 2012 we are waiting for you again right here to encourage and learn about the evolutions of the Gas Gas pilot.
We leave you with Laia’s statements as soon as she won the Dakar 2011 in the women’s category, trusting that we will hear them again on January 15th. See you on Trialworld.es, Facebook, and Twitter! “It’s been incredible. I can’t quite believe it. For me it’s a dream come true, and even more so with the team I’ve done it with. It was very hard, especially the second week, with some moments of suffering, but it was worth it because there were many more good moments than bad.”
LAIA SANZ’S DAKAR
Stage 0: presentation of your new bike and equipment: Gas Gas EC 450 2012. READ MORE
Stage 3: Laia Sanz climbs 18 positions. He finishes in 35th position. 38th overall. READ MORE
Rest day. Interview with Laia Sanz, who takes stock of the first half of the Dakar
Stage 7: Laia Sanz is the only woman in the race. He improves and is now 51st overall. READ MORE
Stage 9: Laia rides solo and improves despite mechanical setbacks. Position 44. READ MORE
Stage 10: Steady, risk-free progression. Laia continues to climb the ranks. Position 39. READ MORE
THIS IS WHAT THE DAKAR 2012 WILL BE LIKE
The details of the 2012 Dakar, which will be held from 1 to 15 January in Argentina, Chile and Peru. The characteristics of the course, as well as a certain atmosphere of playing musical chairs between the pretenders to the title, promise a race full of surprises.
The Dakar is for wandering spirits. This year it will discover the 27th country in its history, at the end of a fourth South American tour that will take the pilots to Lima, capital of Peru, after having traveled through Argentine and Chilean territory. It crosses
the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific, offering a great attraction to rally raid fans in search of great sensations and great spaces. This year, 465 vehicles are expected to arrive in Mar del Plata for the start of the race, which represents an increase of about 15% compared to the 2011 edition.
In the three host countries of the 2012 Dakar there will be sand and dunes. However, between those of Fiambalá, just before crossing the Andes Mountains, those of Atacama, which are surprising for their size, or their Peruvian counterparts, arranged in long cordons, the variation and distribution of difficulties is served, so that It is almost impossible to guess the possible outcome. In addition, with the increase in the number of riders, it is becoming increasingly difficult to advance forecasts, starting with the two-wheeled category. Although Marc Coma and Cyril Despres start with a tie of three wins each, it is not a foregone conclusion that one of the two will add one more victory to take the lead in the rally’s list of winners. They will first have to contend with legitimate challengers who have stood on the podium in the past, such as Yamaha’s Helder Rodrigues and David Casteu , Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez (Aprilia) or Pal-Anders Ullevalseter (KTM). The Portuguese Paulo Gonçalves (Husqvarna ) or the American Quinn Cody, the best rookie of 2011 (9th, Honda), cannot be left out of this group either, after their promising results. In addition, we will not have to take our eyes off a select club of top-class newcomers in January, such as the Brazilian Felipe Zanol (2nd, behind Despres in the Dos Sertoes rally), the two-time enduro champion Johnny Aubert or the four-time champion of the Bol d’Or Matt Lagrive.
NEWS 2012
Absolute limit: 450cc. The movement to reduce the power of the engines, which began during the 2010 edition, is now coming to an end. The rule that was applied to elite riders at the beginning now extends to all motorcycle competitors: the displacement of their machines must no longer exceed 450cc. The measure has already prompted several builders to get involved in the discipline and also responds to demands for moderation that refer to both safety and environmental impact.
Engine Changes: new penalties. In rally raid, the physical and technical performance must be accompanied by management of the duration, which involves maximum attention to the material. This year, motorcycle riders who proceed to engine changes will be penalized from the first operation. The scale of penalties is as follows: 1st substitution: 15 minutes 2nd substitution: 45 minutes 3rd substitution and following: 2 hours
A “semi-marathon” stage: On the night of stage 11, the motorcycle and quadricycle riders will be welcomed in a dedicated Bivouac, to avoid too long a liaison the next day in the morning. The formula imposes an additional rule on them as assistance vehicles will not have access to this bivouac. The vehicles will be placed in a work park, where only competitors registered in the race will be able to participate.
THE DAKAR IN FIGURES
4:
the number of titles up for grabs in the Dakar, in the categories of motorcycles, quads, cars and trucks
9: the record for victories in the event, held by Stéphane Peterhansel with 6 titles in motorcycles and 3 in cars. Vladimir Chagin holds the record for victories in a single category, with seven wins in the truck race.
14: the number of days of competition in the 2012 Dakar. Timed special stages will be held on each stage from 1 to 15 January.
27
: the number of countries visited by the Dakar since its origins, with Peru being the latest to join this club
20, 3, 5:
in years, months and days, the age of the youngest driver in the rally, the Argentinian Lucas Bonetto, entered in the quad category
50:
the number of nationalities represented in the rally
71, 3, 19:
in years, months and days, the age of the most experienced driver of the rally, Francisco Claudio Regunaschi, entered in cars
133:
the number of French competitors registered for the race, whether
or not the first nationality, with 18% of the total
190:
the number of countries in which Dakar footage will be broadcast by a total of 70 television stations
210:
the number of vehicles of the organization used daily in the rally (40 cars, 11 helicopters, 12 planes, 55 trucks, 5 buses, etc.)
260:
the number of journalists following the rally in its entirety, with 1,800 people accredited in the media family (technicians, consultants, casual workers, etc.)
450: In cubic centimeters, the maximum authorized displacement for the engines of the motorcycles participating in the rally. The limit has been imposed for the first time on all competitors.
742:
the number of competitors entered in the race as drivers, co-drivers and mechanics
980:
the number of competitors registered as attendance
1,200:
as a cumulative sum, the estimated number of hours of broadcasting of Dakar footage on television channels around the world (based on the 2011 figure)
1978:
On December 26 of that year, the first edition of the rally kicked off, dated 1979
8,373:
the number of kilometres between Mar del Plata and Lima, with a total of 4,406 kilometres of special for motorcycles (and 4,191 km for cars)
15,500:
the number of tonnes of carbon equivalent offset by the Dakar under the Madre de Dios anti-deforestation project, representing a total of USD 200,000
302,703:
the number of fans who follow the official Dakar Facebook page just a few days before the big start
510,000:
in dollars, the Dakar subsidy for four years goes to the foundation Un Techo Para mi País, which builds emergency shelters on the South American continent
€710,000:
the sum dedicated to Dakar Actions projects over the last 7 years for the development of good practices in the eastern part of Senegal
5 million:
the number of spectators counted at the start, finish and passage of the Dakar in 2011, in Argentina and Chile
73.5 million:
the number of page views on the Dakar website www.dakar.com during the 2011 edition of the rally
280 million:
in dollars, the direct and indirect economic benefits of the Dakar in Argentina, calculated in a study by the Argentine government in 2011
1,000 million:
the number of television viewers who watched images of the Dakar in 2011
BIOGRAPHY OF LAIA SANZ
Laia Sanz has been riding a motorcycle for more than twenty years and her extensive track record attests to this. He began to come into contact with two wheels when he was only four years old in the surroundings of his home, in Corbera de Llobregat (Barcelona). At that moment he decided to pour all his energy into a sport with an almost absolute presence of men, although at the age of twelve he already achieved his first victory, which quickly caught the attention of fans and connoisseurs of this sport
In In 1992 he competed for the first time and in 1997 he stood on the top step of a podium for the first time. From that moment on, Laia’s progression has been constant, as attested by her eleven women’s trial world titles, seven in a row between 2000 and 2006, and those won in the last four years (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). He made his debut in the Montesa team in the 2004 season and since then, La
IA has achieved everything there is to gain in the women’s category.
Ambitious and adventurous, since she was a child the rider had dreamed of going beyond the world of trials and entering the tracks and deserts that make up one of the toughest races in the world: the Dakar. After a year of intense preparation with an expert like Jordi Arcarons, in 2011 Laia set out to make her dream come true and discover first-hand the magic of the mythical race that covers ten thousand kilometres every year at the beginning of the year of tracks and deserts, drawing a mythical race.
His performance in the South American event was simply superb. In her first experience in the toughest race in the world, Laia arrived in Buenos Aires with hardly any mistakes, in one piece and with the victory in the women’s category. Undoubtedly, a completely admirable result for this woman who has no limits.
Continuous effort, hard work and an increasingly refined technique They allow him to face each year with the highest ambitions to continue achieving all his sporting goals. She is always ready to continue breaking records in the women’s category and put the male competitors in more than one bind. Between races, in the little free time she has left between competitions, Laia enjoys the company of her family, music and sport in general.
SPORTS CAREER
1999
3rd Spanish and Catalan Trial Championships in the Cadet category
2000
Spanish Women’s Trial Champion in the Cadet category
Women’s Trial World Champion (FIM Cup)
European Women’s Trial Runner-Up
Team victory at the Women’s Trial of Nations
2001
Women’s Trial World Champion (FIM Cup)
Second place in the team at the Women’s Trial of Nations
European Women’s Trial Runner-Up
2002
3rd Spanish Junior Trial Championship
Women’s European Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion (FIM Cup)
Team victory at the Women’s Trial of Nations
2003
11th Junior Trial World Championship (without having competed in the first four rounds and being the only female participant)
5th Spanish Senior B Championship (only girl participant)
European Women’s Trial Champion with victory in all the races held
Women’s Trial World Champion
Winner of the Senior category in the Two Days of Parenting of Trial (only girl participating)
2004
5th World Cup in the Junior category
Women’s European Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
2005
4th World Cup in the Junior category
Women’s European Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
2006
Women’s European Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
2007
European Women’s Trial Champion
Runner-up in the Women’s Trial World Championship
2008
European Women’s Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
2009
European Women’s Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
2010
European Women’s Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
2011
39th in the Dakar Rally (1st place in the Women’s category)
European Women’s Trial Champion
Women’s Trial World Champion
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