After experiencing the 2026 Dakar as a journalist, Carlo is now switching sides and taking on the rally in Morocco alongside Andrea Gava and the Dueruote Racing Team.
At 33, Carlo Pettinato is a journalist, born and raised in Este (Padua, Veneto), and has been an Italian amateur motorcycle rider and racer since the age of 14. He started out in enduro, winning two Veneto regional championships, before moving into motorally and claiming victory at the 2020 Swank Rally of Sardinia. In recent years, he has also taken on flat track racing, winning the Royal Enfield Europe Cup in 2024 and 2025, as well as the Italian Royal Enfield Cup in 2025. Now, however, it is the call of long-distance rallies that has captured his attention. After experiencing the 2026 Dakar as a journalist, Carlo decided it was time to face the desert himself. He will do so at the FenekRally aboard a Kawasaki KLE500, alongside Andrea Gava, born in 1995, forming the Dueruote Racing Team.
Carlo, how did the idea of taking the KLE500 into the desert come about?
It came from our collaboration with Kawasaki, which decided to support our project by providing two KLE500s. It is a somewhat “old school” choice: we will line up with two essentially standard bikes, with only the minimum modifications needed to tackle the desert. The goal is the same one pursued by the pioneers of African rallies: to get them to the finish line. Today, we are used to seeing highly specialised and expensive rally bikes, whereas the KLE was designed with a completely different philosophy: simple, rugged and reliable. It will be interesting to find out just how far a twin-cylinder bike like this can go in a desert rally.
How much experience do you already have riding on sand?
I don’t have a huge amount of experience, but it is a surface I have always enjoyed. Two years ago, I did a motorcycle tour in Morocco, riding through Merzouga and Erg Chigaga, as well as some rides on sandy tracks in Italy. The FenekRally, however, will be something completely different, especially because it will be my first time navigating in the desert.
What will your strategy be?
To start cautiously, learn as I go and gradually build confidence both with the navigation and the bike. Having a teammate like Andrea, who has more experience, will certainly be a great help. We are there to learn, but also to have fun and experience this adventure together.
What is the real goal of the Dueruote Racing Team?
For me, it is very simple: gain experience, reach the finish line and have fun. I am not starting the race thinking about the standings. Of course, whenever there is a stopwatch involved, you always want to finish ahead of someone, but that won’t be the priority. The main goal is to get both KLE500s to the finish.
And what happens if one of you has a problem?
That is a question you should really ask Andrea, because he is definitely much better than me when it comes to mechanics! Joking aside, we are a team, and the whole point of the project is to tackle the race together. If one of us needs help, there will be maximum willingness to support the other.
Two KLE500s, two riders and an adventure waiting to be discovered: Carlo Pettinato and Andrea Gava are ready to take the colours of the Dueruote Racing Team into the desert. With a simple bike, plenty of curiosity and one goal above all: to make it to the finish.
