RIP Georges Jobe - A Legend

Georges Jobe is and will always be one of the true legends of the sport of Motocross. Five World Motocross Championships, 31 Grand Prix victories, several Belgian Championships, a victory at the 1980 Motocross of Nations. Not too many in the sport have achieved what George Jobe achieved.Belgium has something called the magnificent seven, seven riders who reached for the stars and brought that small country to the top of the sport. Stefan Everts, Joel Robert, Joel Smets, Eric Geboers, Roger De Coster, Harry Everts and Georges Jobe, 40 World titles between them. It wasn't until Antonio Cairoli came along was this group was made up of just Belgian riders.
After winning his first World title in the 1980 World 250cc Championship Jobe would add the Motocross of Nations team's event to his list of successes.

In 1981 Jobe lost the 250cc title to British rider Neil Hudson, this time the points were 235 for Hudson, 233 for Jobe, again another tough battle, fought until the very end.

A year later American Danny Laporte won the World 250cc Championship after a torrid season long battle with Jobe. The season ending points 238 to Laporte 225 to Jobe. It wasn't the first or last time Jobe would fight until the very end, with more World Motocross Championships won or lost by a handful of points.

Laporte summed up the competitive attitude of Jobe, but also the guy who loved life and wanted to get everything out of it he could.

"RIP George, you were the best, you made my career worth it all! You are right, we might have fought on the track but were buddies after the flag! Adieu mon ami!"

Jobe would get the better of Laporte in 1983, winning easily as he cruised to his second World Motocross Championship. Another close loss for Jobe in 1984 as he moved to the 500cc class. Fellow Belgian Andre Malherbe would win this time, with Jobe just 11 points off the final tally of Malherbe (370 to 359).

Jobe raced in an era of greats, his main rivals being names such as Eric Geboers, Dave Thorpe and Andre Malherbe. The 1986 World 500cc Championship Jobe would finish in fourth place, however this will go down as one of the most dramatic Championships in the sports history as the top four riders finished the season with just 20 points separating them. Thorpe would be crowned with 316 points, while fourth placed Jobe had 296 points.

As he did in his two previous World Championships Jobe won easily in 1987, scoring nearly 50 points more than second placed man Kurt Nicoll. With a third World title in his pocket the Belgian great grew in confidence, although injury and bad luck saw him have a couple of poor years, before he fought back once again to win the 1991 and 1992 World 500cc Championships, equalling the great Roger De Coster and fellow Belgian Eric Geboers with five World Motocross Championships apiece.

In 2006 Jobe helped KTM start up their assault on the FIM World Motocross Championships as team manager and in recent years he has also helped many riders from Kevin Strijbos, Anthony Boissiere and Arnaud Tonus.

After retiring in 1992 Jobe suffered a terrible accident in Dubai in 2007, breaking his back, an injury that would once again see his mental strength shine through as doctors told him he would never walk again. Months later Jobe was back on his feet and while the injury prevented him from enjoying 100% fitness, he was working hard to get as much from his body as possible.

I spoke to Jobe just a couple of months ago. He knew this would be a hard battle to win, having nearly passed away in September he remained positive that he would win. He had seen enough fights in his life, always knuckled down and got on with the job. Jobe was not a person to sit back and let something take over his life or body without doing everything in his power to overcome it. Unfortunately on the 19th of December Jobe lost his last fight, the fight against cancer.

The legacy that Jobe will leave behind will be one of a man who never gave up, who fought for every single thing he received in life and a person who said what he thought. Georges Jobe will be missed by many and his passing is a sad moment for the sport of Motocross.