Libor Pletka hopes to race the Dakar Rally as early as 2026. To get there, the motocross rider will run his first cross-country rally later this month at the South African Safari Rally, riding a KTM 450 Rally in the Rally2 class for BAS World KTM Racing Team.

Hailing from the Czech Republic, Pletka usually competes in his country’s regional and national series like the South Bohemian Motocross Championship, primarily in the MX2 category. In 2020, he dabbled in the FIM European Motocross Championship and scored a points finish in the season finale at Garda Trentino.

Last October, he was runner-up for bikes at the Offroad Marathon Hodonín. Pletka was sandwiched between Milan Engel and Martin Prokeš, who both raced the 2025 Dakar Rally.

He formally announced his 2026 Dakar campaign in March.

“After a career racing international motocross, Libor now takes on a new challenge as he makes his rally raid debut in South Africa,” reads a statement from BAS World. “With the goal of finishing and qualifying for Dakar Rally 2026, he’s stepping into unfamiliar territory but ready to give it everything.”

Scheduled for May 18–24, the South African Safari Rally is part of the World Rally-Raid Championship and on the Road to Dakar. Pletka will earn 12 points toward his Dakar credentials if he finishes the event.

Featured image credit: Libor Pletka