finally , after six gruelling days of racing , Laia enjoyed a well-earned rest after a full 26 hours of racing her GASGAS RC450F . It marked a day of preparing for the following six day , something that many suggested would be much tougher .
“ I ’ m pushing , I ’ m pushing , but after these six hard days of racing I ’ m really feeling it ,” it was clear that the interrupted preparation for this years event was taking a toll . “ But it ’ s like this , Dakar is always tough , especially when you start the event with less than perfect preparation .
“ Of course , I want to be faster , I want to be further up the results , but all things considered I ’ m happy .”
Laia suggested she was incredibly happy to not have to wake up early and race hundreds of kilometres , to spend the day working with the team on how to improve , despite the bike feeling great after little falls . Laia was now in 25th place overall and looked good to move further up the standings .
From a day off , to yet another physically and mentally draining day back on her bike ! Successfully completing the anything but easy opening leg of the event ’ s two-part marathon stage , Laia notched up another stage finish to reach the temporary camp where she would stay the night , away from her team .
Securing a 34th place on the opening of the marathon , Laia remained in 25th overall and was confident that more would come however , she was quick to point out that the stage had been extremely tough .
“ I struggled quite a lot and had some pain in my wrist ,” she said . “ I also felt really tired , but I completed the stage and it ’ s great to be here at the overnight marathon bivouac .”
In a footballers parlance Laia said she would take on the rest of the Dakar just one day at a time . Dakar 2021 was certainly getting tougher .
Fearful the pain in her wrist , which made stage seven difficult , would again hamper her progress through stage
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