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After partnering up as Lucky Explorers in 2023, Ottavio Missoni Jr. and Cesare Zacchetti will be together again for the 2025 Dakar Rally as part of Team Kove Italia. Zacchetti is no stranger to Kove Moto, while Missoni will make his début on the Kove 450 Rally EX.
Both riders will enter the Original by Motul (Malle Moto) subcategory. The deal came together via Cesare Galli, the head of Kove Moto’s Italian distributor Pelpi International.
“Kove is building an exceptional image thanks to the Dakar,” said Galli. “We are very happy to continue contributing to this Chinese company’s project as I strongly believe that competing is the most authentic way to demonstrate one’s skills and win the hearts of enthusiasts. I have a lot of experience in off-road racing myself, which I still like to do and I understand the value of these efforts well. With Cesare and Ottavio, we have two ideal riders for our team to convey to the public messages of passion, truth, and sympathy that we want to share.”
Good friends off the track, Missoni and Zacchetti ran the Dakar in 2023 as Lucky Explorer Gentlemen Team, sponsored by MV Agusta’s adventure motorcycle lifestyle brand. It was the former’s maiden Dakar, finishing forty-seventh in Rally2, and the latter’s fifth, placing eleventh in Original by Motul.
Zacchetti switched from a KTM to a Kove 450 Rally for the 2024 Dakar. Despite unusual incidents ranging from his bike getting stuck in a hole to eventual car winner Carlos Sainz running it over, he managed to reach the finish eighteenth in Malle Moto and sixty-sixth in Rally2. His best career finish is a thirty-eighth in 2021, a year before moving to Malle Moto.
“In 2024 with Kove, we did exceptional things,” Zacchetti commented. “I look forward to the next edition with great joy, especially in having my dear friend Ottavio, with whom I share a passion for motorbikes and a relaxed approach to the race, on the team. We want to create a shared experience of great value that serves as a reference of authenticity for enthusiasts.”
Missoni did not run the latest Dakar but confirmed his return in August, albeit entering Malle Moto rather than the broader Rally2. Although competing as a team, he and Zacchetti will not have crews servicing their bikes as per Malle Moto rules.
Outside of racing, he oversees the American sales division for the family-run Missoni luxury fashion line.
“I had to return to Dakar despite my many commitments,” Missoni offered. “This opportunity was unique with Cesare and the factory Kove. I’m super excited about the project and the chance to create something special for the fans, for myself, and for the team. I’m already familiar with the terrain and know the level of effort required. I will give my best to achieve our goals—going far and sharing the experience—and showing that Dakar is a dream that, with passion and dedication, can be tackled.”
Six Koves ran the 2024 Dakar Rally. While Zacchetti was the lone in Original by Motul, Xavier Flick, Fang Xiangliang, Sunier, and Neels Theric raced in Rally2. The Kove 450 Rally EX was débuted by Mason Klein in the premier RallyGP category.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will take place on 3–17 January.
