From Andalusia to the world stage
Experienced rider Andrea Sibaja from Cordoba, Andalusia, in southern Spain, is a dedicated and passionate racer who has fought long and hard to make it to the inaugural WorldWCR grid. Sibaja is not from a motorcycle racing family and having first fallen in love with the sport as a fan, she was already riding road bikes before she herself became a competitive rider. Having battled back from a long series of injuries over many years, she is proud to represent Spain and participate in the first season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship.
From the road into racing
As a 13 year-old Sibaja began watching elite level races on television and started dreaming about one day becoming a professional rider herself. At the age of 16 she got her 125cc licence and took ownership of her first motorcycle, a Yamaha YZF 125cc street bike. Two years later she would enter her first race on a Pitbike, which she fondly recalls, saying, “It was an unforgettable day. I was fulfilling my dream and after I didn’t sleep for days”. Despite crashing twice in that first race, she persevered and would not look back, only thinking about how to continue racing as frequently as possible. The following year she would enter the 125cc Andalusian Championship…
Solid progress in Spain
As she pursued her career on the track Sibaja would become the Andalusia Series 600 Champion in 2014 as the only female rider on the grid. She was runner-up in Spain’s Women’s 600cc Cup in 2015 and finished second in the Spanish national Women’s Open 600 in 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Sibaja was also the runner-up in the Andalusia Open 600 in 2020, competing against men, again as the only woman in the competition. Her results on the Spanish national scene earned her two wild card appearances in WorldSSP300 in 2017, at Aragon and Jerez.
Battling back from injury
Sibaja has not had much luck with injuries in the last few years of her racing career. Her numerous setbacks have required her to undergo more surgeries than most riders and she has often competed whilst in significant pain, sometimes almost unable to get off her bike unaided after races. She spent 18 months without being able to compete, but after her last hip operation in August 2023, following months of recovery, physiotherapy and training she is back in the game.
Current racing heroes… Andrea on the riders she admires:
“Marc Marquez 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. 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.”
The attitude of a champion
When Sibaja talks about her own journey into racing, it’s obvious that her energy and sheer force of will to become a World Championship level rider has been a key factor. She states, “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. 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.”
Motorcycles 24/7
Race weekend or not, motorcycles are on Andrea’s mind 24/7. She works at a motorcycle team in logistics and organisation, as well as coaching the riders. She gives riding classes to children as well. When asking her what she likes to do in her free time, she laughed and gave an example of her previous night: she got into bed with her ipad, rewatching videos of races to study techniques until she fell asleep.
Andrea’s answers to our quickfire questions…
How proud are you to represent your country in WorldWCR? “The level of motorcycling in Spain is top, it can be nothing more than a pride to represent a country that is working so hard for this sport.”
Who is your favourite athlete? “Rafael Nadal, for his tenacity, perseverance, tireless work, overcoming difficult moments and strength.”
Who is the female athlete that inspires you the most? “Laia Sanz seems to me to be a true example to follow in all aspects.”
What is your goal for this season? “After a year and a half without competing, and having overcome a tough injury, I just want to get back into my own rhythm.”
What does it mean to you to be competing in the inaugural WorldWCR season? “A dream. 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 com
