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Team Coordinator and rider: this is the dual role held by Andrea Sibaja, the coordinator of the Deza - Box Racing Team in the SSP300 World Championship and, as of this season, the holder of the same team in the Women's World Championship. A dual employment that flanks her commitments as a coach for her riders and as a driving instructor for young motorcyclists, and which demonstrates the boundless passion for motorcycling of the 31-year-old Catalan, who has come to appear on the stage of the FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship after having a struggled with determination and resilience to pursue her dream of representing Andalusia at the highest levels of motorcycling .
It was not an easy path for Sibaja who, not having a family of motorcyclists behind her, approached the world of two wheels as an enthusiast and then tried to build a racing career that was marked by a long series of injuries. Becoming a professional racer was a dream that the Spaniard began cultivating at the age of 13, when she began watching elite motorcycling on television, and which led her, three years later, to get her A1 license to ride her first motorcycle, a Yamaha YZF 125cc, on the road. It was at the age of 18, however, that she had her first race on a pitbike.
"It was an unforgettable day. I was fulfilling my dream and after I didn't sleep for days" fondly recalled Andrea, who didn't let the two crashes she collected in that first experience stop her and entered the Andalusian 125cc Championship the following year.
It was precisely the grit, perseverance and willpower shown by the Iberian since her early days that were decisive factors in pursuing her competitive path. "I had no family history in racing or anyone close to me doing it. I was simply just passionate about it. It was the sport that I was most interested in and that I admired the most," she explained to the organizers of the Women's World Cup. "Once I tried it, I was unable to get rid of that adrenaline, that addiction to speed, and that constant desire to improve myself and overcome the obstacles that this difficult sport puts in front of you every day."
Champion of the Andalusian 600 Series in 2014, in which she was the only woman on the grid, Sibaja has achieved some excellent results in the national context, where she finished second in the Women's 600cc Cup of Spain in 2015, also finishing second in the Women's Open 600 of Spain in 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and the Andalusian Open in 2020, always competing as the only woman on a men's grid.
Outstanding performances, which led her in 2017 to contest two wild cards in the SSP300 World Championship in Aragon and Jerez. A career that seemed to be going strong until the most recent years, in which Andrea had to deal with several injuries, which forced her to undergo numerous surgeries and to compete often with such pain that she needed help to get off the bike at the end of the race. So many obstacles and setbacks that have not taken away her desire to race and pursue her career, as evidenced by the fact that the Spaniard has returned to racing after an 18-month stop and a final hip surgery sustained in August 2023.
That is also why being able to represent her country in the Women's World Cup is a very important milestone for the Catalan.
"It is a dream," she emphasized, "I have worked a lot for it riding with boys and in all the women's events that have been done. I have worked outside the tracks trying to create this championship for a long time on many sides because it was completely necessary, and to see it born, grow in it, and participate, is a true dream."
"Motorcycling in Spain is at the top, it can be nothing more than a pride to represent a country that is working so hard for this sport. ," continued Sibaja, who does not want to set any particular goals for this season of returning to the racing world: "After a year and a half without competing, and having overcome a tough injury, I just want to get back into my own rhythm. "
With such a troubled career behind her, it can only be Marc Marquez who is one of the Spanish rider's most admired riders."He seems to me to be a great reference in the MotoGP class. He has also overcome many operations and apart from valuing his talent and his way of being as a rider, which is so brave, I find his approach after such a complicated injury record incredible, his way of overcoming and growing in the face of adversity," she commented.
"In WorldSBK I admire many riders, like Alvaro Bautista. I think he also overcame difficult moments like those in MotoGP or in his first year in WorldSBK when it seemed like he would win everything and he started to crash a lot. He has managed to come back and improve incredibly. Toprak Razgatlıoglu is undoubtedly an incredible rider and he is very well liked. Andrea Locatelli seems to me to be a very, very hard-working rider."
Still talking about her sources of inspiration, Andrea added, "My favorite athlete is Rafael Nadal, for his tenacity, perseverance, tireless work, overcoming difficult moments and strength. The female athlete who inspires me the most? Laia Sanz seems to me a true example to follow in all aspects."
Automatic Translation by DeepL
