Joël Smets (born 6 April 1969) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and current Racing Sports Director for KTM motorcycles.

[1] His 57 career Grand Prix victories ranks him fourth overall among motocross world championship competitors.

Nicknamed The Flemish Lion during his career, Smets was named after his parents' favorite rider Joël Robert.

[3] He didn't start racing until he was seventeen years old and found his feet on the Grand Prix scene rather quickly.

A year later Smets, riding the Vertemati machine, won two Grands Prix and again finished third in the world.

By 1995 and racing for the Husaberg factory he was set to clinch his first ever world title, winning the 500cc championship from American Trampas Parker.

[7][8] He also represented Belgium at the 1998 International Six Days Enduro, a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics, and won a gold medal by winning the 400cc four stroke class.

He announced his retirement from international competition at the age of 37 after injuring his knee at the Gaildorf circuit in Germany.