Joël Smets

Joël Smets

Nationality	Belgian
Born	6 April 1969 (1969-04-06) (age 46) Mol, Antwerp, Belgium
Motocross career
Years active	1986 - 2005
Teams	Vertemati, Husaberg, KTM
Championships	500cc- 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000 MX3-GP- 2003
Wins	57

Joël Smets (born 6 April 1969) is a Belgian a former professional motocross racer. He is a four-time 500cc motocross World Champion and was named Belgian Sportsman of the Year in 2000.

International career

Smets was born in Mol, Antwerp. Nicknamed The Flemish Lion during his career, Smets was named after his parents’ favorite rider Joël Robert. He didn't start racing until he was seventeen years old and found his feet on the Grand Prix scene rather quickly. In 1993 Smets won the German Grand Prix, and finished the season in third place in the 500cc championship.

A year later Smets, riding the Vertemati machine, won two Grands Prix and again finished third in the world. By 1995 and racing for the Husaberg factory he was set to clinch his first ever world title, winning the 500cc championship from American Trampas Parker.^[1] The battle between Parker and Smets was a tense one with Smets wrapping up the title in the last round of the series in Germany.

A shock defeat by New Zealand's Shayne King in the 1996 season didn't stop Smets from returning in 1997 and taking his second world 500cc title. He followed with 500cc titles in 1998, riding a Husaberg, and in 2000 on a KTM. In 2003, he came up against the Frenchman Mickael Pichon and fellow Belgian Stefan Everts in the newly formed MX1-GP championship. He rode a KTM to a second-place finish behind Everts in an exciting season of racing. Smets also contested the MX3 class for bikes with a 650cc engine capacity in 2003, winning that title and picking up his 57th Grand Prix victory. He moved to the Suzuki factory team for 2004 but suffered a major injury at the season opening round in the Mantova International.

The injury saw him miss his assault on any title in 2004. The 2005 season was another season he would not reach his true potential as he battled to match Everts on the track. He did win races, but could never get that Grand Prix overall. His season ended at the Gaildorf circuit in Germany when he injured his knee.

Smets has also helped Belgium to win the Motocross des Nations in 1995, and 1997. He sits in second place in the all time Grand Prix winners list with his 57 Grand Prix victories, and is only led by Stefan Everts who has 101 Grand Prix wins. In mid-2005 Smets announced his retirement from Grand Prix racing after injury forced him out of the 2005 season and being sacked by the Suzuki factory team.

Second career

At the beginning of the 2006 season Smets teamed up with MTM Suzuki to race in international races and the Belgium national championship races. After the 2006 season, Smets retired from international and national racing all together. At the start of the 2007 season Smets was managing a small team. By mid season Smets had moved to BMW to work on development of their new 450cc enduro machine, which saw Smets competing in some rounds of the World Enduro Championship.

References

↑ Joël Smets career profile

MX1 world champions¹

1957 - B. Nilsson
1958 - R. Baeten
1959 - S. Lundin

1960 - B. Nilsson
1961 - S. Lundin
1962 – R. Tibblin
1963 – R. Tibblin
1964 – J. Smith
1965 – J. Smith
1966 – P. Friedrichs
1967 – P. Friedrichs
1968 – P. Friedrichs
1969 – B. Aberg

1970 – B. Aberg
1971 – R. De Coster
1972 – R. De Coster
1973 – R. De Coster
1974 – H. Mikkola
1975 – R. De Coster
1976 – R. De Coster
1977 – H. Mikkola
1978 – H. Mikkola
1979 – G. Noyce

1980 – A. Malherbe
1981 – A. Malherbe
1982 – B. Lackey
1983 – H. Carlqvist
1984 – A. Malherbe
1985 – D. Thorpe
1986 – D. Thorpe
1987 – G. Jobé
1988 – E. Geboers
1989 – D. Thorpe

1990 – E. Geboers
1991 – G. Jobé
1992 – G. Jobé
1993 – J. Martens
1994 – M. Hansson
1995 – J. Smets
1996 – S. King
1997 – J. Smets
1998 – J. Smets
1999 – A. Bartolini

2000 – J. Smets
2001 – S. Everts
2002 – S. Everts
2003 – S. Everts
2004 – S. Everts
2005 – S. Everts
2006 – S. Everts
2007 – S. Ramon
2008 – D. Philippaerts
2009 – A. Cairoli

2010 – A. Cairoli
2011 – A. Cairoli
2012 – A. Cairoli
2013 – A. Cairoli
2014 – A. Cairoli
2015 – R. Febvre

¹From 1957 to 2002 the MX-1 world championship was named the 500cc motocross world championship.

MX3 world champions¹

1975 - G. Rahier
1976 - G. Rahier
1977 - G. Rahier
1978 - A. Watanabe
1979 - H. Everts

1980 - H. Everts
1981 - H. Everts
1982 - E. Geboers
1983 - E. Geboers
1984 - M. Rinaldi
1985 - P. Vehkonen
1986 - D. Strijbos
1987 - J. van den Berk
1988 - J.M. Bayle
1989 - T. Parker

1990 - S. Everts
1991 - G. Albertyn
1992 - P. Tragter
1993 - J. Martens
1994 - B. Moore
1995 - A. Puzar
1996 - S. Tortelli
1997 - A. Chiodi
1998 - A. Chiodi
1999 - A. Chiodi

2000 - G. Langston
2001 - J. Dobb
2002 - M. Maschio
2003 - J. Smets
2004 - Y. Demaria
2005 - S. Breugelmans
2006 - Y. Demaria
2007 - Y. Demaria
2008 - S. Breugelmans
2009 - P. Renet

2010 - C. Campano
2011 - J. Bill
2012 - M. Walkner
2013 - K. Gerčar

¹From 1975 to 2002 the third class was the 125cc.

Belgian Sportsperson of the Year

Men	1967 Ferdinand Bracke 1968 Serge Reding 1969–1974 Eddy Merckx 1975 Bruno Brokken 1976 Ivo Van Damme 1977 Michel Pollentier 1978 Raymond Ceulemans 1979–1980 Robert Van de Walle 1981 Freddy Maertens 1982 Jacky Ickx 1983 Eddy Annys 1984 Claude Criquielion 1985 Gaston Rahier & Vincent Rousseau 1986 William Van Dijck 1987 Georges Jobé 1988 Eric Geboers 1989 Thierry Boutsen 1990 Rudy Dhaenens 1991 Jean-Michel Saive 1992 Georges Jobé 1993 Vincent Rousseau 1994 Jean-Michel Saive 1995–1996 Fred Deburghgraeve 1997 Luc Van Lierde 1998 Fred Deburghgraeve 1999 Luc Van Lierde 2000 Joël Smets 2001–2004 Stefan Everts 2005 Tom Boonen 2006 Stefan Everts 2007 Tom Boonen 2008 Sven Nys 2009–2011 Philippe Gilbert 2012 Tom Boonen 2013 Frederik Van Lierde 2014 Thibaut Courtois 2015 Kevin De Bruyne

Women	1975 Carine Verbauwen 1976–1977 Anne-Marie Pira 1978–1979 Carine Verbauwen 1980 Ingrid Berghmans 1981 Annie Lambrechts 1982–1986 Ingrid Berghmans 1987 Ingrid Lempereur 1988–1989 Ingrid Berghmans 1990–1991 Sabine Appelmans 1992 Annelies Bredael 1993 Gella Vandecaveye 1994–1995 Brigitte Becue 1996 Ulla Werbrouck 1997 Gella Vandecaveye 1998 Dominique Monami 1999–2002 Kim Clijsters 2003–2004 Justine Henin-Hardenne 2005 Kim Clijsters 2006–2007 Justine Henin-Hardenne 2008 Tia Hellebaut 2009–2011 Kim Clijsters 2012 Evi Van Acker 2013 Kirsten Flipkens 2014 Nafissatou Thiam 2015 Delfine Persoon

Team	1997 Noliko Maaseik 1998 Belgian Motorcross team 1999 Davis Cup team 2000 Anderlecht 2001 Fed Cup team 2002 La Villette 2003 Belgian Motorcross team 2004 Women's 4×100 metres relay 2005 Under-21 football team 2006 Fed Cup team 2007–2008 Women's 4×100 metres relay 2009–2011 Men's 4×400 metres relay 2012 Field hockey team 2013–2014 Football team 2015 Davis Cup team

Talent	1998 Kim Clijsters 1999 Bart Wellens 2000 Bart Aernouts 2001 Jurgen Van den Broeck 2002 Thomas Buffel 2003 Kirsten Flipkens 2004 Aagje Vanwalleghem 2005 Niels Albert 2006 Yoris Grandjean 2007 Dominique Cornu 2008 Elise Matthysen 2009 Romelu Lukaku 2010 Luca Brecel 2011 Thomas van der Plaetsen 2012 Kimmer Coppejans 2013 Nafissatou Thiam 2014 Divock Origi 2015 Tiesj Benoot

Paralympic	2010 Sven Decaesstecker 2011 Wim Decleir 2012 Marieke Vervoort 2013 Joachim Gérard 2014 Michèle George 2015 Marieke Vervoort

Coach	2011–2012 Jacques Borlée 2013–2014 Marc Wilmots 2015 Hein Vanhaezebrouck

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