“Each of us has a drawer where we put our dreams”
En resumen
- Inspired by a personal dream, Giorgio Porello is the leader of a trio of rookies that face their first participation in the Dakar Classic.
- Porello has lived many adventures with trucks, cars and bikes. He’s even raced in the Merzouga desert when BMW reproduced the Monza circuit in 2018. He’s also done some off-road in Kenya. But the Dakar Classic is a whole other story.
- To face the Saudi desert, the experienced driving instructor called two long term friends by his side. He’s known Simone Casadei for over 30 years, and Gianluca Capelli for more than 15.
- Together, they jump aboard Giuseppe Simonato’s Iveco Magirus. They count on their experience and friendship to make it through the intense challenges of the Dakar Classic.
- Simone Casadei prides himself on having had a connection with motors his entire life, which seemed bound to happen given his family background. Everyone in his family races a bike or a car (or both), he assures. And that includes Formula 1 driver Siegfried Stohr, Simone’s cousin.
- Casadei himself received his first motorbike from his father at the age of 6. He is now a driving instructor for BMW at the Misano World Circuit, a special venue in the world of motorsport and in his personal life… that’s where he met his wife!
- Although he’s mostly known a racetrack environment, Casadei completed the Rallye des Pharaons with a KTM 450 in 2012.
- Alongside his friend Giorgio Porello, he now wants to bring his experience and his skills to provide tranquillity aboard Giuseppe Simonato’s Iveco Magirus.
- Owner of a road transport company, Gianluca Capelli puts his mechanics skills at the service of his long time friend Giorgio Porello as they face their first participation in the Dakar Classic aboard Giuseppe Simonato’s Iveco Magirus.
- An enthusiast for outdoor activities, Capelli thrives in demanding environments. But the Saudi desert will be a whole new challenge.
- The Italian adventurer assures he has no fear of the Dakar. He wants to stand together with his partners and be up to the trust his mentor Giorgio Porello put in him.
Ambición
G.P.
“Let's say that each of us has a drawer where we put our dreams. Every now and then, this drawer opens and circumstances, fate, whatever you want, give you the chance to pull out a dream. One of these dreams was to do the Dakar Classic.
“Let's say that each of us has a drawer where we put our dreams. Every now and then, this drawer opens and circumstances, fate, whatever you want, give you the chance to pull out a dream. One of these dreams was to do the Dakar Classic.
First and foremost, I have to thank Giuseppe Simonato. He brought me here, he talked to me and explained everything to me. I have a lot of experience with trucks, but not so much driving them in the desert. I’ve been in Merzouga, when we reproduced the Monza circuit in the desert. And I've also done some off-roading at a tourist level to teach in Kenya.
I've raced cars for eleven years. I also ride motorbikes, but in my opinion, those who ride motorbikes in the Dakar are a bit crazy. And at my age, you can't do it. I was not interested in cars, I was interested in the gearbox. I like driving. And the more the difficulty increases, the more satisfied you are with being able to face them and overcome them. We take it on together with people I've known for a very long time. Our friendship and enthusiasm will be key.”
S.C.: “This year's Dakar is about achieving a dream with my team. We want to get over what the Dakar offers in terms of difficulty and challenge. I have always been more used to individual challenges. In this case, team spirit is what helps me most to face the unknown of the Dakar. For us, victory is reaching the finish line.
I am a colleague of Giorgio Porello, the driver. A friend of mine told me about his project from the beginning, over a year ago, and asked me to participate. I have experience of navigating in Africa, having competed in the Rallye des Pharaons, but the Dakar will be a new experience. I want to bring my team as much simplicity as possible when facing pitfalls.
It's a challenge with yourself to maintain your mental clarity, to be adequately prepared both physically and mentally to withstand all that time with the right concentration on all the measures and decisions that the desert will require us to take. That's why I think the team is an important element, because we know that if there is a drop in performance, the team is definitely ready to support us. So I'm very happy to be able to tackle the desert with more support than I've had in the past, because I've always done it alone, on a motorbike.”
G.C.: “When Giorgio offered me to do the Dakar Classic, I was immediately flattered and excited. It's a dream come true for me too. And when someone puts that kind of trust in you, the first question is: 'Am I up to it? I don't want to disappoint Giorgio, because I've known Giorgio for many years. He is a charismatic person, someone who, if he places his trust in you, you cannot afford to betray that trust. It took me days, perhaps a month, to decide. In my life I've done many things. I don't fear the Dakar. I only fear disappointing Giorgio.
Now, we have this project together and I'm putting all my enthusiasm into it. We're just thinking about moving forward and then we'll hug at the end. I know there will be tensions, there will be fatigue, but the most important is our friendship. Our crew will prove to be united. I experienced this in the army. When it's getting hard and tense, all it takes is a hand on the shoulder: 'come on, how's it going? Everything okay?'.”
