LAIA SANZ – 2021 ENDURO WORLD CHAMPION!.
SPANISH STAR WINS IN FRANCE TO TAKE HER SECOND WORLD TITLE OF THE YEAR!
She knows how to set the bar high. And she knows how to deliver the goods. And that’s why Laia Sanz is the 2021 FIM EnduroGP Women World Champion! Our super talented offroad legend has dominated the two days of racing at the GP of France, taking her EC 350F to the top of the timesheets in 11 of the 13 special tests over the weekend. In doing so she ensured another maximum points haul, and with it, her second world title of the year having already secured the TrialGP Women World Championship.
Laia Sanz:“It’s been an amazing weekend, I’m really happy. Coming into this final round I had a small advantage at the top of the standings, so I knew that two good days should be enough to take the championship. After winning yesterday, my lead going into today was even greater, so I was able relax – maybe too much on the first test. I felt good and so I pushed a little harder on the second lap. But anyway, to get the title is amazing and of course, this season I have won two, so it has been a fantastic year.”
Following her double win at the GP of Sweden, Laia came into the final round of the Women’s championship with an eight-point lead in the standings. With a further 40 points up for grabs over the two days in France, the Spanish ace couldn’t take anything for granted and knew she had to perform in order to secure the title.
With conditions dry and dusty in France, Laia produced a masterclass of riding on day one, ultimately winning all but one of the tests to top the timesheets by close to a minute. Increasing her lead in the championship standings to 13 points, she carried her speed into Sunday to again dominate and take the win by an impressive 47 seconds.
Laia’s 2021 EnduroGP Women world title, her sixth in the class, comes almost two months to the day since she won the TrialGP Women World Championship, and combined with her record-breaking finish in the Dakar Rally in January, caps off an incredible season for the legendary all-rounder.
Finishing second to Laia on day two in France, GASGAS rider Mireia Badia secured her second-place result in the championship standings, making it a Spanish, and GASGAS, one-two.
Also enjoying a strong outing on day two, newly crowned 2021 Enduro1 World Champion Andrea Verona not only topped the E1 category for the second day in a row, but his performance on the tough French tests netted him second in the overall EnduroGP class. Earning 17 points, the young Italian secured a third-place result in the year’s EnduroGP standings – an incredible achievement for the EC 250F rider in his first year riding for the GASGAS Factory Racing team.
Andrea Verona:“Today has been a very good day for me. After taking the Enduro1 title yesterday, I was able to relax a little more today and I think it helped my pace. I was fighting with Ruprecht for third position in the EnduroGP overall standings and today I was able to finish second overall, which is an amazing result for me. I was just over 10 seconds from the overall win, so I’m very happy with that. It has been an incredible year, changing teams early on, and getting used to the bike, but I was able to find my pace, and the results have been really good. Thanks to the team for all their work. I’ll get some rest now, but then we’ll soon be preparing for next year.”
Results – 2021 EnduroGP World Championship, Round 6, Day 2
Enduro Women
1. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 44:17.01
2. Mireia Badia (GASGAS) 45:03.93
3. Jane Daniels (Fantic) 45:06.98
Enduro1
1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 56:58.42
2. Davide Guarneri (Fantic) 57:52.07
3. Antoine Magain (Sherco) 58:07.44
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 56:46.57
2. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 56:58.42
3. Josep Garcia (KTM) 57:09.52
Championship Standings – 2021 EnduroGP World Championship, (after Round 6, Day 2)
Enduro Women
1. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 115 pts
2. Mireia Badia (GASGAS) 99
3. Jane Daniels (Fantic) 98
Enduro1
1.Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 232 pts
2. Davide Guarneri (Fantic) 206
3. Samuele Bernardini (Honda) 148
EnduroGP
1. Brad Freeman (Beta) 217 pts
2. Josep Garcia (KTM) 199
3. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 157
Text/Bild: GasGas