How Georges Jobé wrote history with one leap!
Although Georges Jobé won world titles with Honda and Suzuki, one image of Kawasaki is etched in the collective motocross memory. We are talking about his legendary jump over André Malherbe at Hawkstone Park in 1984. This is the story of that jump!
After winning his second world title in the 250 cc class in 1983, Jobé switched from Suzuki to Kawa. But he not only changed brands, he also changed classes because he would compete in the 500cc, the premier class.
In the 80s there were three Motocross World Championships, but the crème de la crème came together in the half-litres. That was certainly the case in 1984. All three champions from the previous year – the Swede Hakan Carlqvist, Jobe and his compatriot Eric Geboers – would compete against each other in 12 GPs. After five seasons in the World Championship in the quarter liters, Georges, who was 23 at the time, started a new chapter in his career on Kawasaki's powerful KX500.
The Georges Jobé – Kawasaki tandem got off to a strong start. In the first two GPs, in Austria (Schwanenstadt) and Switzerland (Payerne), the pilot from Retinne was always on the highest podium. Even against top riders like Malherbe, David Thorpe, Gerboers, Carlqvist and André Vromans, the ambitious 500cc rookie made it clear that he had to be taken into account.
All summer long, Malherbe, Geboers and Jobé fought a razor-sharp battle. After the overseas combination US - Canada, there were three more GPs on the calendar: Great Britain, Belgium and Italy. Thorpe in particular, who did not score any points in Canada, was under heavy pressure to bounce back. Especially since Hawkstone Park was his home GP. Dave did that too. The British factory Honda pilot won both heats that day, while Jobé always had to chase after an early fall. However, the fact that Georges managed to limit the damage in the title battle with a third place was lost in the mists of time. What everyone did remember was the super cool jump with which Georges over his compatriot Malherbe. It was that daring overtake at the end of the sand section that earned him the podium!
Jobé himself said the following about this: “Hawkstone Park in 1984 was a memorable race for me. In 1983, when I was still riding 250cc GPs, we also had a round at Hawkstone Park. That year I was also thinking about making that huge leap. But I was in the lead of the championship, so I didn't want to take any risks. That's why I didn't jump that day... But I really wanted to do it one day! I ended up winning the 250cc world title that year and when I moved up to 500cc and I heard we would also be racing at Hawkstone Park, I knew I would make that jump. I thought about it all year, until the day we arrived at the track.”
“Although it was a big leap, I knew it was possible. It wasn't a jump you could just try. The dismount was round face and not that steep which made it easy, but I knew it could be done. During training on Saturday I thought about it every lap. I always rode towards the jump with a lot of speed, ready to take the bump. Still, I always hit the brakes at the last minute and held back. When I got to that particular part of the track on the last lap of practice, I stopped before the jump. The spectators knew I wanted to jump. They started clapping, cheering and shouting “Jobe, Jobe, Jobe”. I decided I had to go for it, and so I did. The crowd went crazy,” Georges explained.
“On Sunday during the warm-up, Eric Geboers followed me over the jump. He went for it too, but he broke his leg. That didn't even happen in a crash, it was just from the impact because it was such a big jump! In both motos I fell at the start but I passed so many riders over that jump. I didn't win, but I conquered the famous Hawkstone Park jump. Above all, everyone remembers me jumping over my good friend and rival Andre Malherbe.”
Dave Thorpe, the winner of the GP, also has fond memories of this competition and especially of the legendary Hawkstone Park jump. Or rather the bump that wasn't meant to be jumped. “If you ever see the pictures of that race at Hawkstone, there were literally thousands of people on that part of the track. No one expected me to win that day, especially because Georges, Eric and André were all such good sand riders. Still, I won. But what remains from that day was the iconic image of Georges 'doubling over' André Malherbe. I was fastest in every session, but I didn't try the double jump in the competition. When I came back to the paddock from each session everyone was talking about Georges who did the double jump. I thought to myself: “I have to jump it too”.
When I got to the jump in the last round of training, I took it too. At that moment I didn't know that Geboers had broken his leg literally a minute earlier! As soon as I got into the air, I realized, “I don't have enough speed.” I was lucky then, because I came straight to the front of the landing. When I landed I got a big clamp and with more luck than wisdom I made it. Eric (Geboers) must have thought the same thing because he couldn't quite get over it either. He landed a little further than me; he lost control driving downhill and broke his leg. However, I was three seconds faster than anyone else in qualifying. That's how I knew I could win. And I knew that anyone who can win at Hawkstone Park can be the best anywhere in the world because that track is so tough. It's going to be really bad.”
The 21-year-old Thorpe would also win the last two GPs in Belgium (Marche-en-Famene) and Italy (Esanatoglia). However, both Dave and Georges had to leave the championship to André Malherbe in '84. It would be André's last world title. After his third place in '84, Thorpe was successful one year later. In 1985 he won his first of three 500cc world titles.
Georges Jobe, who tragically passed away after a protracted illness in 2013, ended his rookie season in the half-litres strongly with the vice world title. With three GP victories and 8 podiums, the Belgian immediately made his calling card among the big men. However, he had to wait until 1987, his first year on Honda, before he finally won the coveted 500cc world title. However, motocross in 1984 will forever remain somewhat synonymous with the daredevilry of Georges Jobé on the KX500 at Hawkstone Park! The photo that showed the world the jump was taken by Nick Haskell.
British artist Robert Kinsey added to the legend by immortalizing Jobé's action in a painting commissioned by Alan Bott.
Tekst: Pascal Haudiquert/Tom Jacobs
Photos: Nick Haskell, Pascal Haudiquert, Robert Kinsey
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