Belgium might not have had a world champion since Steve Ramon in 2007, but they are still the most powerful country in world motocross when it comes to World titles and GP wins.

The Belgians have been there since the beginning and it was just outside Brussels that the first motocross was held in 1934. The Zoete Waters – Oud-Heverlee race was the first to be described as Motocross and signalled the start of Belgium’s infatuation with the sport.

The Belgians invented the starting gate that is still largely used today around the world and a Belgian, by the name of Victor Leloup, won the inaugural World Championship and European Champions, with Belgium dominating the early years of international competition.

To this day Belgium remains the most successful nation at the world championships with the most winners in each class (500cc, 250cc and 125cc), 15 world champions, 56 world titles.

Other than a period in the sixties in which Swedes were the dominant European riders, Belgium has largely remained top of the European Motocross tree. The reason for this is a chicken and egg situation fuelled by the sheer amount of facilities and the incredible mainstream popularity of the sport.

During the seventies, where at least one Belgian rider featured on each World Championship podium for a decade save for one occasion, Belgium boasted 60 MX tracks for training and competition, more than any other country in Europe at the time and unheard of for a country of 11 million people.

While we now enjoy a slight comeback of Belgian motocross in 2024, with the MX2 line-up of the Coenen brothers and Liam Everts, plus MXGP contender of the future, Jago Geerts, the history of the country we head this coming weekend for the MXGP World championship has had some very incredible athletes. Here are the ten men, from Belgium, with the most success for that sensational motocross land.

Stefan Everts – 10 World Titles: Stefan Everts record of success will be very difficult to beat. Not only does he have 10 world titles, but he also has 101 grand prix victories. Everts also won three GPs in a single day, and he won world title on all four brands of the Japanese motorcycles (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki). Not only did Everts have an amazing racing career in GP, but he probably won more pre-season and post-season international races than many of the men below on this list. He has the best record from any rider at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations, with moto wins and titles for his country and won major international events throughout the World. His swansong at the 2006 MXdN, when he beat James Stewart was a fitting end to the greatest GP career ever.

Joel Robert – 6 World Titles: Joel Robert was for many years the most successful grand prix rider in the history of the sport, but that was until Stefan Everts came along and broke all his records. Robert has not only six FIM world titles, but also 50 GP victories. Known as a character, Robert once raced three races in a weekend, won them all and partied after each race. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, motocross racers were known to smoke and drink during the season and Robert was a legend at more than just racing. Old friends tell of stories of him staggering out early in the morning, drunk and little sleep, but he would always turn up on the starting gate, ready to race and win, sometimes with a smoke in his mouth. Riding for the Suzuki factory team in the 1960’s and 70’s gave him an added advantage over his rivals as the Suzuki factory was clearly a level above the others.

Roger De Coster – 5 World Titles: Simply known as ‘The Man’ back in the day he had a lot to do with many people coming into the sport of motocross. Slick, good looking and always confident De Coster won five FIM World 500cc Championships and 36 GPs in the 1970s. He also rode for the Suzuki factory team and while Robert was dominating the 250cc class, De Coster was in control of the 500cc class. He travelled the World speaking the gospel of our sport, to America, and Australia and brought maybe more people to our sport than any riders in the history of motocross. De Coster is also famous for being manager of the Team USA effort for the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations and he has been the team manager since the early 1980s.

Georges Jobe – 5 World Titles: In one of the toughest eras in the sport’s history, Jobe put together five FIM World titles and 28 Grand Prix wins. Similar to his countrymen (Eric Geboers and Andre Malherbe) Jobe came up against riders like Hakan Carlqvist, Dave Thorpe, Brad Lackey and Kees Van Der Ven and was still able of putting together one of the most incredible careers in the sports history. Jobe won two FIM World 250cc and three FIM 500cc world titles. December 19, 2012 Jobe passed away, due to cancer.

Eric Geboers – 5 World Titles: If size was disadvantage, then Eric Geboers would have nothing under his name, but the size of his heart made sure that he was always in the heat of battle against the best motocross riders in the world. Five FIM World Motocross Championships, 39 grand prix wins and the first man to win World titles in all three classes (125cc, 250cc and 500cc). Geboers was known for his professional approach to the sport and his desire to win at any cost. We lost him to this World on May 6, 2018, and it was a lost that broke a lot of hearts. Always a great humour, didn't mind a laugh, for was of course, the man who brought the Belgian Grand Prix back to Lommel, where we head this coming weekend. Long live the Kid.

Joel Smets – 5 World Titles: Unlike his biggest rival Stefan Everts, this tall blonde Belgian didn’t have the most talent in the World and didn’t even start racing until he was 17 years old, but what he lacked in talent he made up for with sheer determination and strength. Smets won five FIM World titles and 57 GP victories. Everts had his measure on most occasions, but Smets could handle just about every other rider of his era and did give Everts a lot of trouble when they did meet and together, they made sure Belgium won a handful of MXdN's in that era.

Harry Everts – 4 World Titles: Father of Stefan won four FIM world titles, one in the 250cc class and three in the 125cc class. The senior Everts rode for the Suzuki factory team during his domination of the 125cc class. Everts won in the 125cc class in 1979, 1980 and 1981 and the 250cc class in 1975. He also scored 25 Grand Prix victories in his career. He was also born with polo, which meant one of his legs was shorter than the other. Now, in a sport like motocross, that isn’t easy.

Andre Malherbe – 3 World Titles: Ask Stefan Everts who he thinks is the most accomplished GP rider of all time and he might just mention the name Andre Malherbe. Malherbe won three FIM World 500cc Championships but could have added more titles as in the period he was having success in the 125cc class it was not, yet a FIM World Championship classified event, only a European Championship. Malherbe also won 28 Grand Prix’s.

Gaston Rahier – 3 World Titles: The late great Gaston Rahier. His three FIM World 125cc Championships came in the golden era of the Suzuki factory team. From 1975 until 1984 Suzuki won every FIM World 125cc title and just like Harry Everts did from 1979 until 1981, Rahier won his titles in succession, winning in 1975, 76 and 77. Rahier was the first ever FIM World 125cc Champion and like Eric Geboers used his small statue as an advantage. He also won 29 GPs in his career.

Steve Ramon – 2 World Titles: Ramon has made the most of his career. Both world titles came in unusual circumstances. His first was the FIM World 125cc Championship in 2003 when he just beat Stefan Everts in the points after Everts hadn’t competed in the early rounds. Ramon’s second title came in the 2007 FIM World MX1 Championship. He had trailed Josh Coppins by around 100 points before Coppins crashed out of the Grand Prix of Czech Republic ending his championship assault. Ramon was there on both occasions to pick up the pieces courtesy of his solid results throughout the whole season. A more beautiful style you only saw in names like Everts, Windham or Bayle.

Geoff Meyer and MXlarge images