Namur Motocross GP - The Legend

There is no bigger legend in Motocross than that of Namur. The most treacherous
and the most atmosphere, the citadel of Namur has it all. It was back in 1957 that
Swedish legend Sten Lundin pushed his BSA machine to victory around the
treacherous circuit, and now nearly 60 years later it still holds it’s magic.

Our first ever World Motocross champion Bill Nilsson, who won World Motocross
championships in 1957 and 1960 remembers his time around the citadel. It was the
beauty of the Belgian public that sent the BSA rider out contention for a victory
around Namur.

“Those Belgian fans would be ruthless,” Nilsson said recently. “I remember the time
I was racing with Rene Baeten and I crashed into his to take the lead. The crowd
just jumped the fence and attacked me. I had to fight them to get my bike back.
They are very emotional about their riders, but it made for great atmosphere when
you riding through the tree’s of the citadel.”

Of course the greatest winner in Citadel history is The Man, Roger DeCoster. The
five time World Motocross champions won a staggering seven times around the
Namur circuit, only losing out to German Willy Bauer in 1973, had DeCoster won that
day he would have won eight in a row. DeCoster will fly in to watch the race this
weekend, and join the Legends parade, which will go ahead on the Friday afternoon.
Also included in the legends parade is Brad Lackey, Eric Geboers and many other
former GP winners and World champions.

Another magic moment around Namur was the time Sweden’s Hakan Carlqvist
stopped at the Café du Monument for a glass of beer on his way to winning the 1983
race. Honda power moved into Namur in eighties and nineties as those fearless trio
of Dave Thorpe (HRC #3) , Eric Geboers and Andre Malherbe all won around the
citadel. Malherbe won in 1979 and 1980, Thorpe took wins in 1984, 85 and 89, while
Geboers took a single win in 1990. click on ozzy go to the full story