Gaston Rahier (1 February 1947 – 8 February 2005) was a Belgian professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1967 to 1983, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won three consecutive FIM 125cc Motocross World Championships. After his motocross career, he competed in long distance Rally Raid racing and was a two-time winner of the prestigious Paris-Dakar rally. In 1977, Rahier was named the recipient of the Belgian National Sports Merit Award.

Motocross racing career Rahier was born in Herve, Wallonia, Belgium on 1 February 1947. At the age of 20, he competed in his first Motocross World Championship event at the 1967 250cc Belgian Grand Prix as a privateer aboard a ČZ motorcycle. Despite his small stature (He stood tall), he also competed in the larger 500cc class where he scored his first World Championship point at the 1968 500cc Belgian Grand Prix.

Rahier joined the Suzuki factory racing team in 1973 competing in the 250cc World Championship in support of six-time World Champion, Joël Robert. He won the first overall victory of his career with Suzuki at the 1974 250cc West German Grand Prix where he finished ahead of perennial World Championship contenders, Gennady Moiseyev and his Suzuki teammates, Sylvain Geboers and Joël Robert. Rahier was a member of the victorious Belgian team at the 1974 Trophée des Nations event in Vesoul, France on 1 September.

As the sport of motocross experienced a surge in popularity during the early 1970s, the FIM introduced the 125cc Motocross World Championship in 1975. The Suzuki team entered Rahier into the new class, and he proceeded to dominate the season by winning eight out of twelve Grand Prix events to win the inaugural 125cc Motocross World Championship. He also helped the Belgian team reclaim the Trophée des Nations event on 7 September 1975.

Rahier successfully defended his 125cc title in 1976 and was a member of victorious Belgian teams at both the Motocross des Nations and Trophée des Nations events. Rahier's title defense in the 1977 season was made more difficult by the strong opposition presented by Yamaha factory rider Gérard Rond who won three Grand Prix events. Rahier was able to prevail by winning seven of twelve events to win his third consecutive 125cc motocross world championship, setting a record of 29 career 125cc Grand Prix victories. In the 1978 125cc Motocross World Championship, Rahier finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki teammate Akira Watanabe. On 10 September 1978, he helped the Belgian team win the Trophée des Nations event for the fourth and final time of his career.

Rahier left the Suzuki team and raced a Yamaha to a third place finish in the 1979 125cc Motocross World Championship behind Suzuki teammates Harry Everts and Akira Watanabe. He raced for the Gilera factory racing team in the 125cc motocross world championships in 1980 and 1981. Rahier moved back to the 250cc class in 1982 riding a Suzuki. He suffered a serious hand injury in the 1983 season that ended his professional motocross career.

Rahier won 53 individual heat races and 30 Grand Prix victories during his world championship racing career. He won three 125cc motocross world titles (1975-1977) and six Belgian motocross national championships. He was a member of six victorious Belgian Trophée des Nations teams (1970, 1971, 1974-1976, 1978), and one victorious Belgian Motocross des Nations team (1976).

Later motorsport racing career

After recovering from his injury, Rahier began a successful off-road racing career competing in rally raid events. As a member of the BMW factory racing team, he entered the grueling, long distance 1983 Paris-Dakar Rally. A mechanical failure forced him to abandon the rally while he was leading the event however, he returned to win the 1984 Dakar Rally. He successfully defended his title by winning the 1985 Dakar Rally.

Rahier also competed for BMW in the 1985 Baja 1000 desert race in Baja California. Rahier and his co-rider Eddy Hau won Class 30 for riders over 30 years of age, and finished eighth overall ahead of all the cars and trucks entered in the race. In 1985, Rahier and long-distance runner Vincent Rousseau were honored as co-winners of the Belgian Sportsman of the Year award. Rahier was also a three-time winner of the Rallye des Pharaons (1984, 1985, 1988).

In the late 1980s, Rahier competed in sports car and touring car racing, taking part in the 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1987 Spa 24 Hour endurance races.

Rahier died in Paris on 8 February 2005, after a long battle with cancer.

Motocross Grand Prix Results Points system from 1952 to 1968: Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th  Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1969 to 1980:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 1967 250cc ČZ ESP- ESP- CH- CH- FRA- FRA- BEL17 BEL19 GER- GER- NED- NED- ITA- ITA- UK- UK- SWE- SWE- FIN- FIN- USR- USR- POL- POL- - 0 1968 250cc ČZ ESP13 ESP10 BEL7 BEL12 CZE- CZE- FRA15 FRA14 NED- NED- GER- GER- LUX15 LUX14 POL- POL- USR- USR- YUG- YUG- FIN- FIN- SWE- SWE- UK- UK- AUT- AUT- - 0 500cc ČZ AUT- AUT- ITA- ITA- SWE- SWE- FIN- FIN- GDR- GDR- CZE- CZE- UK- UK- GER- GER- FRA- FRA- NED- NED- BEL9 BEL5 LUX- LUX9 CH- CH- 25th 1 1969 250cc Ossa ESP- ESP- CH13 CH11 YUG- YUG- CZE- CZE10 POL10 POL11 GER- GER- NED- NED- FRA- FRA14 UK- UK- SWE- SWE- FIN- FIN- USR- USR- 37th 2 500cc ČZ AUT- AUT- SWE- SWE- NED- NED- ITA- ITA- CZE- CZE- USR- USR- GER- GER- BEL19 BEL9 LUX- LUX- FRA- FRA- CH- CH- GDR- GDR- - 0 1970 250cc ČZ ESP11 ESP9 FRA10 FRA5 BEL11 BEL12 YUG- YUG- ITA- ITA- USR- USR- POL- POL- UK- UK- FIN- FIN- GDR- GDR- CH- CH- AUT- AUT- 16th 7 500cc ČZ CH- CH- AUT- AUT- NED- NED- FRA- FRA- FIN- FIN- SWE- SWE- CZE- CZE- USR- USR- GER- GER- GDR- GDR- BEL5 BEL7 LUX- LUX- 24th 5 1971 250cc ČZ ESP3 ESP6 CH11 CH9 POL- POL- GER18 GER6 YUG- YUG- ITA3 ITA10 NED1 NED2 GDR1 GDR1 FIN2 FIN2 SWE8 SWE7 UK- UK- AUT- AUT- 11th 20 1972 250cc Husqvarna ESP4 ESP4 FRA10 FRA9 NED15 NED8 CZE- CZE7 YUG8 YUG6 GER6 GER- POL10 POL8 USR- USR- FIN- FIN- SWE- SWE- UK- UK- CH- CH- 13th 23 1973 250cc Suzuki ESP- ESP10 ITA10 ITA10 BEL- BEL10 CH9 CH6 POL- POL- YUG- YUG- FRA- FRA- FIN- FIN- USR- USR- SWE- SWE- AUT- AUT- 20th 11 1974 250cc Suzuki ESP10 ESP- ITA- ITA4 CZE8 CZE8 POL2 POL2 YUG4 YUG- UK10 UK- GER1 GER3 NED4 NED- FIN9 FIN- SWE8 SWE9 CH5 CH4 5th 96 1975 125cc Suzuki FRA1 FRA3 UK1 UK1 YUG1 YUG1 SWE1 SWE1 NED1 NED1 POL2 POL2 GER1 GER1 CZE1 CZE1 USA- USA- CAN3 CAN3 ESP2 ESP2 BEL1 BEL2 1st 195 1976 125cc Suzuki AUT2 AUT1 ITA1 ITA2 UK1 UK1 BEL1 BEL1 DEN1 DEN- FIN1 FIN1 CZE2 CZE2 FRA1 FRA- USA5 USA- GER1 GER1 ESP1 ESP1 CH2 CH1 1st 195 1977 125cc Suzuki FRA1 FRA2 ITA1 ITA8 BEL1 BEL1 DEN2 DEN2 POL1 POL- YUG1 YUG1 CZE1 CZE5 GER1 GER1 CH1 CH1 USA3 USA1 CAN2 CAN- ESP1 ESP1 1st 292 1978 125cc Suzuki AUT1 AUT1 ITA1 ITA2 BEL2 BEL2 DEN3 DEN4 NED3 NED- FRA1 FRA1 YUG4 YUG3 GER1 GER2 CH- CH2 POL2 POL2 USA6 USA- ESP3 ESP6 CZE2 CZE1 2nd 249 1979 125cc Yamaha AUT2 AUT- GER- GER- NED4 NED- ITA5 ITA- FIN4 FIN3 CZE3 CZE3 YUG4 YUG3 CH4 CH1 FRA3 FRA2 IRL3 IRL3 USA3 USA5 ESP3 ESP3 3rd 183 1980 125cc Gilera NED4 NED6 AUT- AUT2 BEL7 BEL- FRA10 FRA- YUG2 YUG1 GER- GER- ITA- ITA- CZE- CZE- FIN- FIN- USA9 USA- ESP- ESP4 9th 67 1981 125cc Gilera ITA6 ITA4 NED4 NED5 AUT- AUT- GER5 GER7 FRA- FRA5 YUG4 YUG8 POL6 POL- CH2 CH- USA- USA- FIN4 FIN8 CZE7 CZE8 ESP- ESP4 7th 97 1982 250cc Suzuki CH- CH- ESP- ESP- BEL- BEL- CZE- CZE- ITA6 ITA9 FRA5 FRA5 UK- UK- NED- NED- USR9 USR7 USA- USA- FIN- FIN- SWE- SWE- 15th 25 1983 250cc Suzuki ESP- ESP- FRA6 FRA- ITA- ITA- NED6 NED- BUL- BUL- GER5 GER5 UK- UK- CAN- CAN- USA- USA- CH- CH- SWE- SWE- FIN- FIN- 22nd 10Sources:

Paris-Dakar results

Year Machine Position1983 BMW R80G/S Abandoned1984 BMW R80G/S 1st1985 BMW R80G/S 1st1986 BMW R80G/S 14th1987 BMW R80G/S 3rd1988 Suzuki DR-Z 600 9th1989 Suzuki DR-Z 750 11th1990 Suzuki DR-Z 800 9th1991 Suzuki DR-Z 750 13thSource:

References

External links