Joël Robert is no more
Today we received the sad news that six-time world champion Joël Robert (77) has passed away. The Walloon motocross rider was diagnosed with the coronavirus a few weeks ago and subsequently developed additional problems such as heart failure. He died in Gilly hospital near Charleroi.
Since last Wednesday he had been in a coma with the failure of some vital bodily functions. Joël Robert was one of the toughest motocross riders the sport has known. His six world titles in no way translate to the amount of talent he had on a dirt bike. He seemed born for the sport and could go very fast on the motorcycle without training too much. Torsten Hallman: “He was as agile as a cat and always landed on his feet."
Joël Robert won three world titles with the Czech brand CZ and three with Suzuki. He was a typical 250cc rider who could pull his string on any type of surface. He was born on November 10, 1943 in the Walloon village of Chatelet. In 1960 he rode his first competitions and was soon able to achieve his first victory on a Zündapp. In 1964 he won his first world title in the 250cc class as a privateer on a CZ. He won a total of 50 GPs, a record that would stand for thirty years until Stefan Everts would knock it off the tables in 2004. He won more than 250 matches and became Belgian champion five times.
After his career as a motocross rider, Robert became the driving force behind competitions such as the Coupe de l'Avenir and the 12 hours of La Chinelle. He was also national coach of the Belgian team for the Motocross of the Nations for 10 years. The status of Joël Robert is unprecedented. He once appeared in a comic strip by Michel Vaillant and acted in the film “On Any Sunday” with Steve McQueen.
The editors of MXMag wish the family and all friends of Joël Robert a lot of strength in these difficult moments.
Photos: archive
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