Jaak van Velthoven
| Jaak Van Velthoven | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Born | 24 January 1951 |
| Motocross career | |
| Years active | 1970 - 1983 |
| Teams | Husqvarna, Yamaha, KTM |
| Wins | 5 |
Jaak Van Velthoven (24 January 1951[1]) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer.[2] He competed in the F.I.M. 500cc motocross world championships during the 1970s. Van Velthoven's best individual performance was a third place in the 500cc World Championship in 1973 with the Yamaha factory racing team.[3][4] He helped Yamaha develop a revolutionary motorcycle rear suspension that utilized a single shock absorber (invented by the Belgian engineer Lucien Tilkens)[5] instead of the traditional dual shock absobers.
Van Velthoven also rode for the Husqvarna and KTM factory racing teams. He was a member of four winning Belgian teams at the Motocross des Nations in 1972, 1973, 1976 and 1977. Standing well over 6 feet tall, it was not difficult to distinguish him in the pack and he was often referred to as 'Long tall Jaak'.
References
- ^ "Jaak Van Velthoven" (PDF). memotocross.fr. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ "Jaak Van Velthoven career profile". bestsports.com. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ "1973 500cc motocross world championship final standings". memotocross.fr. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ "1973 500cc motocross world championship". akejonsson.com. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ Magazine Moto73
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