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Roger De Coster
Roger De Coster (born 28 August 1944) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and current Motorsport Director of KTM and Husqvarna North America. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1966 to 1980, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won five FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships.
De Coster scored a record 36 500cc Grand Prix victories during his racing career, making his name is almost synonymous with the sport of motocross during the 1970s. His stature in the sport of motocross is such that, he is often simply referred to as "The Man." In 1973, De Coster was named the recipient of the Belgian National Sports Merit Award.
As a team manager, he captained the first American team to win the Motocross des Nations in 1981. De Coster was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. The motorcycling publication Cycle News named him Motocrosser of the Century in 2000. In 2010, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
De Coster was born in Uccle, Belgium as the son of a steel mill worker. With four brothers, his family could not afford to fund De Coster's motorcycle racing ambitions, but by working six days a week while still going to school, he was finally able to purchase a motorcycle when he was 17 years old. He began competing on a 50 cc Flandria motorcycle before replacing it with an Itom. After his first racing season, he started to compete in motorcycle trials to fill the winter lull.
His main competitor in trials events was future Formula One driver, Jacky Ickx. De Coster lost to Ickx during their first season in the 1963 Belgian 50 cc trials national championship. 1964 would be a break out year for De Coster as he won the 1964 Belgian 50cc Junior Motocross championship, and won a gold medal in the 1964 International Six Days Trial. The International Six Days Trial, now known as the International Six Days Enduro, is a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics which is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the FIM dating back to 1913. He also defeated Ickx for the 1964 Belgian 50 cc trials national championship. His trials experience improved his riding ability in wet, slippery conditions which, would later become an asset during his motocross career.
He began to work for ČZ motorcycles in their warranty department, but continued to race on his own time. He won the 1966 500cc Belgian Motocross National Championship competing on a ČZ, but his first foray into Grand Prix World Championships that same year was limited due to injuries suffered in a crash. De Coster was impressed by the meticulous bike preparation and efficient riding styles of Swedish riders such as world champion Torsten Hallman, observing how Hallman absorbed jumps with his body so that his motorcycle flew at half the height of his competitors which, allowed the rear tire to begin applying power to the ground sooner. De Coster was known for his smooth, controlled riding style and a commitment to physical training. His training regime gave him the stamina that allowed him to circulate for most of the race in mid-pack before putting in a late charge through the field to victory when other racers had begun to tire.
De Coster's performances earned him full sponsorship from the factory for the 1967 season in which, he ended year ranked fifth in the 500cc world championship. After the 1967 World Championship season, De Coster joined his ČZ factory teammates Joël Robert and Dave Bickers, along with Husqvarna teammates, Torsten Hallman, Arne Kring and Åke Jonsson, in a series of exhibition races in the United States that had been organized by Edison Dye, the American importer for Husqvarna motorcycles. The exhibition races served as a means to introduce the sport of motocross to an American audience, and eventually led to the formation of the Inter-AM and Trans-AMA motocross series that helped to popularize the sport of motocross in the United States.
In 1968, De Coster won his first overall victory with a win at the 500cc Italian Grand Prix, and once again ended the season ranked fifth in the world championship. De Coster ended the 1969 season ranked fifth in the world for a third consecutive season, and was a member of the Belgian team that won the 1969 Motocross des Nations for 500cc motorcycles and the Trophée des Nations for 250cc motorcycles, marking the first Belgian victory in eighteen years at the event. Despite his results, De Coster felt neglected by the lack of support from the ČZ factory.
Roger De Coster
Roger De Coster (born 28 August 1944) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and current Motorsport Director of KTM and Husqvarna North America. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1966 to 1980, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won five FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships.
De Coster scored a record 36 500cc Grand Prix victories during his racing career, making his name is almost synonymous with the sport of motocross during the 1970s. His stature in the sport of motocross is such that, he is often simply referred to as "The Man." In 1973, De Coster was named the recipient of the Belgian National Sports Merit Award.
As a team manager, he captained the first American team to win the Motocross des Nations in 1981. De Coster was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. The motorcycling publication Cycle News named him Motocrosser of the Century in 2000. In 2010, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
De Coster was born in Uccle, Belgium as the son of a steel mill worker. With four brothers, his family could not afford to fund De Coster's motorcycle racing ambitions, but by working six days a week while still going to school, he was finally able to purchase a motorcycle when he was 17 years old. He began competing on a 50 cc Flandria motorcycle before replacing it with an Itom. After his first racing season, he started to compete in motorcycle trials to fill the winter lull.
His main competitor in trials events was future Formula One driver, Jacky Ickx. De Coster lost to Ickx during their first season in the 1963 Belgian 50 cc trials national championship. 1964 would be a break out year for De Coster as he won the 1964 Belgian 50cc Junior Motocross championship, and won a gold medal in the 1964 International Six Days Trial. The International Six Days Trial, now known as the International Six Days Enduro, is a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics which is the oldest annual competition sanctioned by the FIM dating back to 1913. He also defeated Ickx for the 1964 Belgian 50 cc trials national championship. His trials experience improved his riding ability in wet, slippery conditions which, would later become an asset during his motocross career.
He began to work for ČZ motorcycles in their warranty department, but continued to race on his own time. He won the 1966 500cc Belgian Motocross National Championship competing on a ČZ, but his first foray into Grand Prix World Championships that same year was limited due to injuries suffered in a crash. De Coster was impressed by the meticulous bike preparation and efficient riding styles of Swedish riders such as world champion Torsten Hallman, observing how Hallman absorbed jumps with his body so that his motorcycle flew at half the height of his competitors which, allowed the rear tire to begin applying power to the ground sooner. De Coster was known for his smooth, controlled riding style and a commitment to physical training. His training regime gave him the stamina that allowed him to circulate for most of the race in mid-pack before putting in a late charge through the field to victory when other racers had begun to tire.
De Coster's performances earned him full sponsorship from the factory for the 1967 season in which, he ended year ranked fifth in the 500cc world championship. After the 1967 World Championship season, De Coster joined his ČZ factory teammates Joël Robert and Dave Bickers, along with Husqvarna teammates, Torsten Hallman, Arne Kring and Åke Jonsson, in a series of exhibition races in the United States that had been organized by Edison Dye, the American importer for Husqvarna motorcycles. The exhibition races served as a means to introduce the sport of motocross to an American audience, and eventually led to the formation of the Inter-AM and Trans-AMA motocross series that helped to popularize the sport of motocross in the United States.
In 1968, De Coster won his first overall victory with a win at the 500cc Italian Grand Prix, and once again ended the season ranked fifth in the world championship. De Coster ended the 1969 season ranked fifth in the world for a third consecutive season, and was a member of the Belgian team that won the 1969 Motocross des Nations for 500cc motorcycles and the Trophée des Nations for 250cc motorcycles, marking the first Belgian victory in eighteen years at the event. Despite his results, De Coster felt neglected by the lack of support from the ČZ factory.
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