N°23 Bike ORION - MOTO RACING GROUP
driver
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MARTIN MICHEK

(cze) / 73kg

Hobbies

Swimming, cycling

Sponsors

BIG SHOCK, Bonmoto - Vše na moto / Moto Racing Group / Usušil & Syn / Autoklub České Republiky / IVAR CS SPORT / Czech Motorsport / BO Motor-Oil CZ / ORION - tvoříme vaši domácnost / Bolder.cz - Motorcycles Equipment / KBoard / Meatfly / HT Group Racing Team / Sponserfood.cz / Brumla.com / EXD Airbrush & Graphics / Gaerne / Mostarna Drachkov / CZ Chains / Funny Wheels / RB Tuning / MX711pegs

2023: 11th
2022: 36th
2021: 10th
2020: 23rd (3rd rookie)

2022: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (35th)
2021: FIM Bajas World Cup (1st); Dubai International Baja (2nd), Hungarian Baja (5th), Baja do Oeste (1st), Baja Portalegre 500 (5th)
2020: European motocross championship (11th)
2019: European motocross champion (EMX Open class), Baja Aragon (5th), Rallye du Maroc (34th)
2018: European motocross champion (EMX Open class), Czech motocross champion
2017: European motocross champion (EMX Open class), Czech motocross champion
2016: European motocross champion (EMX Open class), Czech motocross champion
2015: Czech motocross champion
2014: Czech motocross champion
2013: World motocross vice-champion (MX3 class)
2012: World motocross vice-champion (MX3 class)

Interview

“My goal will be to ‘beat me’”

In just a few short years, Martin Michek has become one of the top privateers in the bikes. The 34-year-old Czech rider has been mad about motorsport since childhood, after waking up one Christmas morning to find a new bike under the tree. His father and brother encouraged him to take up motocross and he became one of the Czech Republic’s top riders in the discipline, winning no fewer than 18 national titles! He has also picked up four European crowns and two world championship silver medals in the MX3 class. Martin still competes in motocross to this day and explains that it’s ideal preparation for rally-raid, which he took up in 2019. The Ceske Budejovice native was vying for the top rookie prize throughout his Dakar debut in 2020, but a mechanical on the penultimate stage dropped him down to 23rd overall. Despite contracting a rare and potentially fatal liver disease later that year, he made a full recovery and stormed to a historic 10th place at Dakar 2021, the best finish for a Czech biker since Stanislav Zloch in 1998. Despite following up that superb performance with victory at the FIM Bajas World Cup, Martin had a rather more arduous experience at Dakar 2022. Like many of the top factory bikers, he lost significant time on Stage 1B due to some tough navigation, especially having started the day in second behind Maciej Giemza. He embarked on a comeback with a couple of top-10 finishes, but then suffered a high-speed crash on the liaison before Stage 6, when he was almost hit by a local driver. Sore ribs, fuel pump issues and another crash meant he had to settle for 36th overall, and he wouldn’t have made it to the finish at all if not for an admirable display of Dakar spirit from Ecuador’s Juan Puga, who gave Martin his front wheel on the penultimate stage. Less eventful, the 2023 edition saw Martin return to a position which corresponds to his potential: 11th and 1st competitor from a private team. A serious leg injury in motocross prevented him from doing a good season, and from preparing the 2024 Dakar as he wanted. But the Czech arrives with the same state of mind as in previous years, aiming to secure a second top-10 finish... and make history by achieving the Czech Republic's new best result among bikers.


M.M.: “I did a good job last year, it was hard but I enjoyed it and I had my second best result, just outside the top-10. Unfortunately, I injured myself a couple of days after Dakar. I worked hard to make it for the 2024 race, I pushed a lot and trained physically. I wanted to ride with my Dakar bike but I couldn’t, so I will not see it until the shakedown! Anyway, I have the heart of a sportsman: as soon as I am on the starting line, I want to do my best. I finished 10th in 2021, so my goal will be to ‘beat me’ and do better! I keep my feet on the ground, but to do better than 10th would be my dream. I will need to be focus and push like hell to do it. The factory riders have many, many kilometres, while I’ve had zero on the bike I am going to use. It will be difficult, but I will try to achieve it!”

Vehicle

ORION - MOTO RACING GROUP

KTM 450 RALLY REPLICA
ORION - MOTO RACING GROUP

  • KTM
  • 450 RALLY REPLICA
  • Orion - Moto Racing Group
  • Orion - Moto Racing Group
  • Rally GP

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