Published On: December 29, 2012
Wecause Joël couldn't attend the funeral of one of his former idols. Joël still wanted to say goodbye to Georges and wrote a tribute to Jobé from his holiday destination. A great champion remembers a great champion…
Goodbye Georges…
1980. A year earlier, bicycle cross, or BMX, came over from the United States. I was one of the first 'die hard' fans of this cheaper surrogate for MX and on a beautiful summer day in 1980 we rode a race in Retinne near Liège. As a young teenager from the Kempen, a move to Liège was an experience in itself at the time, but it only became really exciting when it turned out that the BMX circuit was in the Jobé family's backyard...
At school we learned about Julius Caesar, the president of America, King Baudouin, etc., but my kings or emperors at the time were simply called De Coster, Rahier, Malherbe, Everts ... and the young Prince Jobé who emphatically came to the fore that year ... And now should we just cycle in the prince's garden?!? As the icing on the cake, after our BMX competition, we were invited to take a look at the workshop of the Suzuki 250cc factory team, which to my surprise was simply housed in the garage of the Jobé family's parental home. What I saw there defied my wildest imagination and is forever etched in my retina! No fewer than 6 (six!) identical, sparkling 250cc factory Suzukis were lined up like mirror images next to each other! If you have dreamed of becoming a motocross rider for as long as you can remember, you will be speechless when you see so much beauty... The fact that we didn't get to see “Prince” Georges himself no longer bothered us. But the whole experience made me watch Georges Jobé more closely than most of his contemporaries since that day.
Dear Georges, that same year you became world champion for the first time and I could brag to my friends about my visit to your workshop 🙂 In the following years, even though I was still young, I quickly understood from the media and from stories I, among others, I heard from my parents that you were “not normal”, i.e. a stubborn, idiosyncratic, ambitious star who liked to do his own thing. But you continued to believe in yourself and persevere. I recognized a part of myself in those qualities that made me respect you. Your second 1983cc world title followed in 250. Then, after a number of years in the 500cc class with its fair share of ups and downs, you decided at the end of 1986 to chart a very unique course for 1987 with a mainly private team. For example, I remember that against your better judgment you did not go with Showa for your suspension and fork, for example, but opted for the then less well-known White Power from the Netherlands. When few believed in you, you were often at your strongest, which resulted in your first 500cc world title. However, your idiosyncratic strategy was not always successful... After Eric Geboers had already become world champion in 125cc and 250cc, he entered the 1988cc class in 500 for the title of Mr 875. Ambitious as you were, you took on a similar challenge, but in 125cc after your titles in 250cc and 500cc ... Your year was a letdown and I felt for you, but to be honest I have to admit here that I was not completely sad because that is how Eric Geboers became the first Mister 875. You will forgive me that I just missed that period was a bit more of a fan of my fellow countryman “The kid”…
In the years that followed, it seemed as if you would never get over that sporting upset. But that was without the go-getter Jobé! When you had access to ex HRC factory equipment in the early 1992s, you became your old self again. I still had respect, but in the meantime we had become competitors. Especially in 5 when I fought many duels with you with my blue private Honda. You became world champion for the 4th time, I would end that World Cup in XNUMXth place. My respect for you had now become mutual respect.
You hung up your helmet and we had little contact for the rest of the 2000s, but that changed when you organized competitions in Qatar in the early XNUMXs. Some riders (including Stefan Everts) did not receive permission from their employer to embark on the adventure, but fortunately my then motorcycle supplier KTM had no problem with me going to the Gulf state to enjoy myself. Now that you were an organizer yourself, you realized that you had not always played it correctly in your peak years by "passing the cash register" at some matches... That's why you appreciated all the more that during your organizations there, as always, I gave my best and provided the necessary spectacle in front of the sheikhs.
In the following years we maintained warm and regular contact. This was also the case after your accident in 2007, where you once again displayed an example of willpower. You fought skin cancer with the same perseverance in 2010. You seemed to me to be gradually becoming immortal, but when you were also struck by leukemia at the beginning of this year, I thought: this is going too far, this is unfair, no one deserves so much suffering! Our contact now turned into one-way traffic because due to the many treatments you often did not have the courage or fitness to call or text yourself. Sometimes you didn't answer or it took a few days before I received a response to a text message. Then I knew that you had seen very black snow again for a few days. But when I did get you on the phone the next time I tried, I recognized that same go-getter from before through your weak, hoarse voice. By the way, we talked about your battle with illness as if it were a Motocross World Championship... you would occasionally lose a GP or have an off-day, but you would win the World Championship... After 6 weeks of chemo and radiation in a hospital in Brussels, you sent next text: “Hi, I'm finally back home from hell, the rehabilitation can begin… thank you for your support!” Giving up was not an option for you...
A few weeks later. We are now just before the MXoN and have just completed a rigorous training with Team Belgium. While chatting, I got the inspiration to call you in the presence of our current top players. I was sure this would cheer you up even more... after the first ring you answered the phone and what followed left us all speechless. I opened by saying that I was in the company of the team's riders. That was the signal for you to give a motivational monologue to Team Belgium about why and how we were going to win... despite the fact that you yourself were literally involved in a battle to the death! The world turned upside down, you who cheered us up instead of us you!? But indirectly I heard how your voice revived by being able to talk to us about the most important cross of the year. This phone call made you audibly happy, you were still part of it, you had not been forgotten or let alone given up. By the way, your voice no longer sounded hoarse and weak, but on the contrary loud, strong and enthusiastic! Consequently, I was convinced that you were also going to win this “World Cup”….
To our regret, we were unable to give you the victory in the MXoN and unfortunately it turned out that you were also unable to win your last World Championship...
Georges, just like the names of our real kings, your name is also printed in bold in the history books of our country... You'll never walk alone!!
Joel Smets