Roger DeCoster

Roger De Coster
Roger De Coster in 1977
Nationality	Belgian
Born	28 August 1944 (1944-08-28) (age 72) Uccle, Belgium
career
Years active	1966 - 1980
Teams	ČZ, Suzuki, Honda
	500cc - 1971-1973, 1975, 1976
Wins	36

Roger De Coster (born 28 August 1944 in Uccle) is a Belgian former world champion racer and current motocross team manager.

De Coster's name is almost synonymous with the sport of motocross, winning five during the 1970s and tallying a record 36 500cc Grand Prix victories. His stature is such in the world of motocross that he is often simply referred to as "The Man."

De Coster began his professional motocross career with the Czechoslovakian firm ČZ racing in the 500cc class. He was also competent in other forms of off-road motorcycling, winning a Gold Medal in the 1964 International Six Days Trial, and won the 1964 Belgian Observed Trials National Championship. He won the 500cc Belgian National Championship in 1966 and moved up to the Grand Prix World Championship in 1967. He won his first 500cc Grand Prix in 1968.

In 1971, De Coster left ČZ to join the Japanese firm Suzuki. It was with Suzuki that he would attain his greatest success, winning the 500cc Motocross World Championship three years in a row in , and before Heikki Mikkola dethroned him in . De Coster came back and regained the World Championship for the and seasons.

By the mid-seventies, he had established himself as the greatest motocrosser of all time. In 1980, He joined Honda for one final season. He left the sport on top, winning his final world championship race — the 500cc Motocross Grand Prix of Luxembourg at the end of the 1980 season. He was also a four-time winner of the motocross series, a nine-time Belgian national champion, and was a member of six winning Belgian teams in the .

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.

After his racing career, De Coster moved to the U.S. and remained involved in the sport, becoming the motocross team manager for Honda and Suzuki. In 2011 De Coster became the team manager for the Red Bull KTM team. He has also managed Team USA in the Motocross des Nations.