Spain’s Laia Sanz gears up for her 9th Dakar Rally

TIL Desk Sports/ Spanish motor cyclist Laia Sanz said on Tuesday that she feels like a sportswoman again after preparing for competing in the upcoming Dakar rally for the ninth time. The Spaniard recently suffered a double viral infection, mononucleosis and Q fever,and has been treated for nearly three months.

“Little by little I’ve felt much better, but I’ve had very bad months, and in the last few days I’ve felt like a sportsperson again,” the Spaniard said at a press conference held here. In 2018, Sanz’s health problems kept her inactive. She could not participate in the Morocco rally or take part in the training of her team KTM held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

Sanz’s participation in the Dakar Rally in Peru, between January 6 and 17, was in question but the Spaniard insisted that she will try to compete with motivation in the race although she does not arrive with the best preparation. “To compete at the Dakar Rally, you have to be 200 percent, we will see how I am and motivation will help me a lot,” she added.