“I’ve come third twice…”
En bref
PB
- Paolo Bedeschi had to wait for his retirement to meet the Dakar but he immediately thrived in the desert. A former mechanical engineer, he made the most of his craft to survive the traps of the Dakar Classic and come 3rd in his first participation, in 2023.
- The next year, Bedeschi proved his performance was more than a one-off as he finished 3rd again, alongside Daniele Botallo and aboard the same Toyota BJ 71 that took them twice on the podium of the Dakar Classic. It was the end of this road as Bedeschi sold his car to Juraj Sebalj ahead of the 2025 edition.
- In 2026, Bedeschi returns to Saudi Arabia aboard a Toyota HDJ 80 that will see him partner with Iader Giraldi. With their combined experiences, the duo aims for the top positions.
IG
- Iader Giraldi, passionate about off-road riding since the age of 12, started his Dakar journey with the 2021 Road to Dakar and the Andalucia Rally, focusing on mindfulness and stress management.
- He created a platform called Dealing with the Unexpected to share his Dakar experience and wrote the book “I Must Do the Dakar”.
- After three assaults in the desert on his bike, including two participations in the Original by Motul category, the trailblazer joins forces with Paolo Bedeschi for a first in a car. Both hail from Faenza, in Italy, and they met in the Saudi desert in 2023.
Ambition
P.B.: “I followed the Dakar 2025, I really enjoyed it, and it also made me want to come back even more. It really fascinates me and gives me great satisfaction, starting from the preparation of the car. I bought this Toyota HDJ 80 in October 2024. I found it at a car dealer in Bolzano, in the north of Italy. He brought it directly to the ZC 4x4 workshop. They had already prepared the BJ 71 for me, and I gave them carte blanche to prepare this one too. It's more than a three-hour drive from my home, and I went there many days to dismantle the car completely.
Iader [Giraldi] and I met in 2023. We both are from Faenza and we were both doing our first Dakar. The mayor invited us for an event together, and we explained our adventure. From then on, we stayed in touch and became friends. This year, when I changed cars, I knew that my co-driver, Daniele [Botallo], was already committed. I asked Iader if he could help me find a co-driver and he immediately said, 'I'll do it.' I jumped at the chance and here we are.
I've come third twice, so if we improve on that, I'll be happy. The car allows us to do so. The most important thing is not to make mistakes and, above all, not to break the car. The car has to return to the camp every evening in good condition. I try to see where I stand in the first half of the race, not overdoing it. Then in the second half, we'll see if it's worth taking a few more risks.”
I.G.: “My first participation in a car is a natural evolution with my spirit of adventure. After finishing the Dakar on my debut and attempting the Original by Motul twice without success, I realized it was time to give up the extreme category.
As a biker, I know how to navigate well, and I have been participating in international rallies for five years. I believe that my understanding of dunes can be an advantage for Paolo's good driving.
Together we can achieve great results, and our ambition is to improve on Paolo's two third places, even though there has been a lot of competition in recent years and the race is not at all as easy as one might think.
I would like to thank Thermosystem and Motorplay Official, my sponsors who have been with me since I started chasing my dream on a motorbike.”
