Jurgen van den Goorbergh (born 29 December 1969) is a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

former professional

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

road racer also known as ''The Flying Dutchman''. His son, Zonta van den Goorbergh, is also a motorcycle racer and currently competes in

Moto2 Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of ...

Career

Born in Breda,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, Van den Goorbergh won the Dutch 250cc road racing national championship in 1991. He began his Grand Prix career in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

in the 250cc class. In

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

he moved up to the 500cc class racing a privately sponsored

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 producti ...

. MuZ hired him to race for them in the

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

season. in this season he surprised by taking 2 pole positions. one at the circuit of Catalonia (Barcelona) and one in Brno. he raced with Mollenaar racing in 2000 and in 2001 raced with the team of

Kenny Roberts Kenneth Leroy Roberts (born December 31, 1951, in Modesto, California) is an American former professional motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...

- Proton team. The 2002 season did not start off well for van den Goorbergh, scoring only 21 points in first 10 races. At the end of season he made his best result in Australian Grand Prix, finished on 5th place only three hundredth of a second behind third

Tohru Ukawa (born May 18, 1973) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. Ukawa began his Grand Prix career in 1994, racing in the 250cc world championships. He finished second to Valentino Rossi in the 1999 World Championship. In 2002, ...

. From 2003 to 2005, van den Goorbergh raced in the Supersport World Championship. He is considered an expert in wet racing. In the wet 2005

Chinese Grand Prix The Chinese Grand Prix () is a round of the Formula One World Championship and was contracted to return in 2023 but will now not do so until 2024 at the earliest. It is currently held at the Shanghai International Circuit, Jiading, Shanghai, d ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

, van den Goorbergh substituted for the injured

Makoto Tamada (born November 4, 1976 in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan) is a former Japanese professional motorcycle racer currently working as a rider instructor in Suzuka Racing School. He is one of the few riders to win races in both MotoGP and Superb ...

. He began from in 19th position and finished a respectable 6th place for the Konica Minolta Honda team. In 2006 and 2007 van den Goorbergh did not join a road racing team, but tested MotoGP tyres for Michelin. He raced in the European

Enduro Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on extended cross-country, off-road courses. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is ...

Championships, the Dutch

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal ...

Championships and in Supermoto competitions. He competed in the

Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal ...

for the first time in 2009 - finishing 17th and best rookie that year. In 2010 Jurgen competed in Dakar again, this time with a buggy and did not finish. In 2010 Jurgen has competed in several events and is preparing himself for the 2011 Dakar - again with a buggy.

Motorcycle Grand Prix career results

Races by year

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

References

External links

*
Jurgen van den Goorbergh web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goorbergh, Jurgen Van Den 1969 births Living people Sportspeople from Breda Dutch motorcycle racers 250cc World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders MotoGP World Championship riders Supersport World Championship riders Superbike World Championship riders Porsche Carrera Cup GB drivers Dakar Rally drivers