Spain’s Sandra Gomez is one of Enduro’s leading female competitors, carving out her own path in this year’s World Enduro Super Series and enjoying promising results so far in 2019. Despite missing the opening two rounds due to injury, the former FIM Women’s SuperEnduro World Champion and AMA EnduroCross Champion returned to competitive action at round three, the Erzbergrodeo in Austria. Reaching checkpoint 18 of 26 she finished a commendable 78th out of the 500 starters in the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble.

Next, she moved on to her home round of the series the Hixpania Hard Enduro. Despite a pre-event hospital visit due to an allergic reaction, Gomez delivered her best regardless. Qualifying through to Sunday’s Lost Roads main event, she eventually finished a very creditable 34th. Now with round five – Red Bull Romaniacs – on the horizon, Sandra is ready to meet the challenge of the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye…

Overcoming Injury

“I had initially planned to do all rounds of WESS, but I had to change my plans due to injury. I broke my collarbone competing in SuperEnduro at the beginning of April and so missed rounds one and two. It’s taken a little time to recover from that, but I was back on a bike for Erzbergrodeo and my home race, Hixpania Hard Enduro. Unfortunately, injuries are part of our sport, but it’s important to allow enough time to recover from them no matter how much you want to ride again.”

Big Brother Influence

“It’s so good to have a rider like Alfredo as my brother. I’ve always looked up to him and he’s one of my heroes. While we both have different perspectives on what we want to achieve at the races – he’s racing to win, I want to finish – he’s always ready to offer advice when I need it and is a big supporter of what I do.”

Fighting To The Finish Line

“There’s no better feeling than reaching the finish line of a race, especially in Hard Enduro. Those races really push you to your absolute limits and sometimes more. Before Hixpania Hard Enduro I had an allergic outbreak and was in hospital for a couple of days, but I didn’t want to miss the race. Saturday’s Cross-Country was physically tough due to the heat, but I kept pushing on. Everyone around me was encouraging me to keep fighting. I was so happy to qualify into Sunday’s main race. I rode a good opening lap with no mistakes but was destroyed after lap two. Somehow, I kept the wheels turning and managed to finish 34th – it was an amazing result for me and one to be proud of.”

Racing Without Limits

“I don’t ever consider that there is an upper-limit to what women can achieve in Enduro and Hard Enduro. I’m simply trying to push the level of what I can do every time I ride. I’m not thinking that because I’m a girl I can’t or shouldn’t be able to do it – I just put on my helmet and go. I think that’s the best way.”

Returning To Red Bull Romaniacs

“My next goal is to be ready for Red Bull Romaniacs. I had a bit of set back with the allergy infection before Hixpania Hard Enduro, so I need a little rest and recovery to be in the best shape for it. It’s been four years since I last raced there, but I feel like I’ve gained a lot more experience in that time and can deliver a better performance this year. It’s a big race, a tough race, but I know if I give my best then I’ll be happy with that.”

Help support Sandra in her preparation for Red Bull Romaniacs: https://patrocinalos.biz/sandra-gomez/

The World Enduro Super Series continues with round five at Red Bull Romaniacs on July 30-August 3.