“I become a factory rider, it’s a new challenge for me”
En bref
- Martin Michek has been mad about motorsport since childhood, after waking up one Christmas morning to find a 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, winning 18 national titles! He has also picked up four European crowns and two world championship silver medals in MX3.
- He started rally-raid in 2019 and has become one of the top privateers in the bikes in just a few years. 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. Despite contracting a rare and potentially fatal liver disease later that year, he made a full recovery and stormed to a historic 10th place in 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 in 2022, suffering a high-speed crash on the liaison before Stage 6. Sore ribs, fuel pump issues and another crash meant he had to settle for 36th . He wouldn’t have made it to the finish if not for an admirable display of Dakar spirit from Ecuador’s Juan Puga, who gave Martin his front wheel on the penultimate stage.
- The 2023 edition saw Martin return to a position which corresponds to his potential: 11th and 1st competitor from a private team. He secured a second Top 10 finish in 2024, but could not repeat it in 2025 because of a mechanical problem. His time for revenge has come!
- Martin's performances seduced the young Chinese brand Hoto, which signed him for the 2026 Dakar Rally. He immediately performed, earning a prestigious victory for his new bosses in the Taklimakan Rally, Hoto’s national race. Hoto’s best result in Saudi Arabia is a 28th place finish last year, for its first appearance. The Czech rider obviously aims to do better, as he will be the first to represent Hoto in the RallyGP class.
Ambition
M.M.: “I had bad luck in 2025, having a problem with my chain. But I was also lucky that it did not happen at high speed! 2025 was a different year for me because I raced a lot. I won the Taklimakan Rally in China, a 13-day and 5,500 kilometer race that was really heavy. I signed a contract with the Hoto Factory Racing team, it’s a new brand that will compete for the second time after doing its first Dakar in 2025. Of course, I’ll try to beat my best result, my 10 th place, and to help this new brand to improve. We will work hard and push a lot to show that the brand is good. Dakar is never easy, because of the riders competing and because it’s one of the toughest race in the world! I could take the number 23 and it’s emotional for me: my birthday is on February 23, and I earned a 10th place with this number in the past. It’s already my seventh Dakar, I love the desert and my passion for it is still the same. I become a factory rider, so it’s a new challenge and a new experience for me. I will give my all to do the best possible result, and I can’t wait to race!”
