MXGP mourns the loss of Belgian motocross legend Joël Robert

The motocross world has been saddened by the news that Belgian motocross legend Joël Robert passed away at the age of 77 on Wednesday 13th of January 2021 after a cardiac arrest.

Robert was an inspiration for many of the upcoming talents in Belgium, after becoming the youngest World Champion at the age of 21 when he secured the 250cc title in 1964. He then followed that up with five more titles, two more with Czech brand CZ in 1968 and 1969, and then three consecutive wins with Suzuki in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

In addition to the impressive six world titles, the list of achievements includes 250 victories in both the 250cc and 500cc categories, as well as a with at the Motocross des Nations with Team Belgium in 1969, alongside teammates Roger De Coster, Jef Teeuwissen, Sylvain Geboers and Jaak Van Velthoven.

Following his career, Mr Joël Robert remained involved in racing, and was the Team Manager for the Belgian Motocross of Nations team between 1997 and 2006, during which time the Belgian’s won five times.

His impressive career received a special recognition by the FIM in 2019, which celebrated all his achievements. He also joined in the festivities as he awarded the trophies to the 2019 FIM World Champions in the off-road disciplines.

Copyright: Photo: FIM