Eric Geboers (5 August 1962 – 6 May 2018) was a Belgian professional motocross racer and

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1980 to 1990, winning five world championships in eleven years. Geboers is notable for being the first motocross competitor to win world championships in the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc divisions. Geboers' 39 career Grand Prix victories ranks him fifth overall among motocross world championship competitors. In 1988, he was named the recipient of the

Belgian National Sports Merit Award The Belgian National Sports Merit Award is an annual award handed out to a Belgian sportsperson or -team for exceptional merit. Players can only win the award once during their career, making this trophy one of the most prestigious in Belgian sports ...

. In 2011, Geboers was named an

FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...

Legend for his motorcycling achievements. Geboers died in a drowning accident in 2018.

Biography

Geboers was born in Neerpelt, Belgium where his father owned a petrol station and also sold automobiles as well as mopeds and scooters. He was the youngest of five brothers who raced motorcycles, including his eldest brother,

Sylvain Geboers Sylvain Geboers (born March 28, 1945) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and motocross racing team manager. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1968 to 1977. Motocross career Geboers was born in Mol, Belgium. He ...

who finished in the top three of the 250cc motocross world championships for five consecutive years between 1968 and 1972. Geboers began racing professional motocross in the 1980 125cc motocross world championship for the

Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...

factory racing team managed by his brother Sylvain. He made an immediate impact by winning the 1980 125cc French Grand Prix in only the second Grand Prix of his career. He went on to win two more Grand Prix races in Germany and Czechoslovakia to finish the season ranked third in the championship behind

Harry Everts Harry Everts (born February 1952) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1970 to 1982. Everts is notable for being a four-time FIM motocross world champion. In 2013, he was named a ...

and Michele Rinaldi. Geboers won three more Grand Prix races in the 1981 125cc motocross world championship, improving to second place in the championship behind Everts, who had successfully defended his title. In 1982, Geboers dominated the second half of the 125cc motocross world championship season by winning five of the last six Grand Prix races to claim his first world championship for Suzuki. He successfully defended his title for Suzuki in 1983 by winning six out of twelve Grand Prix races during the 125cc motocross world championship.. Suzuki's decision to withdraw from the motocross world championships at the end of the 1983 season led Geboers to sign a contract to become a member of the powerful

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

factory racing team that included the reigning world champion

André Malherbe André Malherbe (21 March 1956 – 24 November 2022) was a Belgian professional Grand Prix motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1975 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Honda factory racing team where he ...

as well as David Thorpe and André Vromans. While with the Honda team, he was given the nickname ''The Kid'' by Honda team manager Steve Whitlock due to his small stature. He ended the year ranked fifth in the 500cc motocross world championship behind his three Honda teammates and Kawasaki-mounted

Georges Jobé Georges Jobé (6 January 1961 – 19 December 2012) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1979 to 1992. Jobé is notable for being a five-time FIM motocross world champion and a nine-ti ...

. Geboers improved to third place in the 1985 500cc motocross world championship behind his Honda teammates Malherbe and Thorpe and, this result was repeated in the 1986 world championship with the three Honda teammates capturing the top three results in the season final standings. Whitlock convinced Geboers to compete in the 250cc world championship in 1987, with the promise that he could return to the 500cc class if he won the 250cc title. Geboers won five Grand Prix races to win the 1987 250cc world championship, earning a return to the premier 500cc division. The following year, he won his first of two FIM 500cc World Championships to become the first competitor to win FIM world championships in all three classes. His performance earned him the 1988

and he was named the 1988 Belgian Sportsman of the year. Geboers retired at the top of his sport in 1990 by winning the premier 500cc world championship in his final season of competition. Geboers won the final race of his career at the 1990 500cc United States Grand Prix. Geboers also won the Le Touquet beach race three consecutive times between 1988 and 1990. After his retirement from motocross racing, Geboers began a career in

sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

endurance racing, competing in the

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

and

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FIA GT Championship in events such as the

2001 FIA GT Jarama 500km The 2001 FIA GT Jarama 500 km was the tenth round the 2001 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de Españ ...

and the Spa 24 Hours in

and

. Geboers managed the Suzuki motocross team along with his brother, fielding Belgian riders

Clement Desalle Clement or Clément may refer to: People * Clement (name), a given name and surname * Saint Clement (disambiguation)#People Places * Clément, French Guiana, a town * Clement, Missouri, U.S. * Clement Township, Michigan, U.S. Other uses * A ...

and

Kevin Strijbos Kevin Strijbos (born 13 August 1985 in Geel) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2000 until 2021. Strijbos was the 1999 85cc motocross world champion and, in 2001 he won the 12 ...

Death

Geboers died on May 6, 2018 in a drowning accident on a lake in Mol, Belgium after jumping off a boat to save his pet dog. Geboers immediately had difficulty and failed to surface. Rescue crews recovered his body the next day. The dog, a recent gift from his wife, reportedly survived.

References

External links

Sylvain Geboers Team Suzuki web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geboers, Eric 1962 births 2018 deaths Sportspeople from Limburg (Belgium) Belgian racing drivers FIA GT Championship drivers People from Neerpelt 24 Hours of Spa drivers Deaths by drowning Accidental deaths in Belgium Belgian motocross riders