Eddy Merckx
Encyclopedia
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (ˈmerks) (born 17 June 1945 in Meensel-Kiezegem
), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian
former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time. He won the Tour de France
five times, won all the monuments
of cycling at least twice, with 19 monument victories in all, won the Giro d'Italia
five times and the Vuelta a España
once, won the world championship once as an amateur and three times as a professional, and broke the world hour record
.
, Belgium. His brother and sister are twins. The family moved to the suburb when he was young. He said:
He acquired his first racing bike, second-hand, when he was eight. His hero was Stan Ockers
, who died in a fall on an Antwerp track in 1956.
Merckx said:
Merckx moved from the youth to the senior amateur class two months early. At the time, riders had to wait until their 18th birthday. Merckx later said:
Patrick Sercu
rode with him in newcomers' and junior races on the track at the Palais des Sports in Brussels. Merckx could not beat him on the track but Sercu said that when he saw Merckx on the road he believed he was looking at a future winner of the Tour de France.
and finished 12th.The British weekly, Cycling, had only his surname in a report about the 1964 Summer Olympics
supplied by a news agency. Needing to add a name, the magazine gambled and referred to him as "Willi Merckx." In the same year, he became world amateur champion
at Sallanches
, France. He said his victory was tainted by the long list of riders who had won the amateur championship and done nothing afterwards. Merckx said of the race:
He turned professional on 29 April 1965, after 80 wins as an amateur. He joined Solo-Superia under Rik van Looy
. One of the other riders was Jean van Buggenhout, who became his manager. His first win was at Vilvoorde
on 11 May. He came second to Walter Godefroot
in the national championship and was picked for the national team for the world championship near San Sebastian
, Spain. The race was won by Tom Simpson
. Simpson rode normally for Peugeot
and Merckx moved there the following year after nine wins with Solo. There he won the first of seven editions of Milan – San Remo still aged 20.
In 1967 he repeated his 1966 Milan – San Remo success and also won La Flèche Wallonne
. His first grand tour was the 1967 Giro d'Italia
, in which he won two stages and finished ninth. Later that year he out-sprinted Jan Janssen and the Spaniard Ramon Saez to become world professional champion at Heerlen
, Netherlands. Cycling
's reporter, said:
Merckx was earning 125,000 Belgian francs a year when he won the championship (approx €2,000 at 2008 values). He didn't buy his first car until he had been a professional for three years.
team. The Italian coffee machine company had returned to sponsorship, having backed teams led by van Looy and others in the past. He said:
Faema, however, had no interest in the Tour de France, Merckx said.
Coca-Cola offered Merckx a million Belgian francs to ride in 1968, van Buggenhout urged him to accept, but Merckx refused believing himself not strong enough to ride both the Giro – which was important to Faema- and the Tour – which wasn't.In 1968 Merckx decided he was not strong enough to ride both the Giro and the Tour, so declined the Tour. The Giro was more important to his team. Merckx has never regretted the decision, not least because that year's race – the "Tour of Health" as it was billed after the death of Tom Simpson the previous year – turned into a slow procession which led the organiser, Félix Lévitan
, to accuse journalists who complained of reporting "with tired eyes", after which the journalists went on strike. The 1968 race was ridden by national rather than trade teams, which explains why Faema
was less interested.
Merckx won Paris–Roubaix and started his domination of the grands tours by becoming the first Belgian to win the Giro d'Italia
in 1968
. He did this another four times, equalling the record of five by Alfredo Binda
and Fausto Coppi
.
In 1969, he first won Paris–Nice. In the time trial, he overtook the five-time Tour de France
winner, Jacques Anquetil
, who for 15 years had been the world's best time-triallist. Merckx won Milan – San Remo, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
During the 1969 Giro d'Italia
, he was found to have used drugs and was disqualified (See below – Doping).
was the first which Merckx won, even though he was almost deprived of it by a doctor in Lille
who found abnormalities in his heart rhythm. Merckx was cleared to start after medical colleagues said the hearts of endurance athletes were often unusual.
The French historian Jean-Paul Ollivier said:
Faema drew number one in the draw for places in the opening prologue
, a time-trial over 10.4 km at Roubaix
. Driessens chose Merckx, a decision which surprised because the first rider has no other performances by which to pace his ride. He lost six seconds to Rudi Altig
because of a headwind in the outward stretch that dropped for later starters. But he took his first yellow jersey in his home of Woluwe-St-Pierre at the end of a 15.6 km team time trial
. In stage two, ending in Maastricht
, Merckx allowed his teammate Julien Stevens
to take over the yellow jersey because it is difficult for a favorite to lead the race from the early stages and withstand his rival's attacks for so many days. Merckx reclaimed the lead in stage six on Ballon d'Alsace
, in the Vosges
of eastern France where he attacked Roger De Vlaeminck
, Altig, Rini Wagtmans
and Manuel Galera. Pierre Chany
wrote:
Merckx won the 17th stage, over four cols from Luchon to Mourenx
The "Eddy Merckx" velodrome at Mourenx was named in his honour on the 30th anniversary of his first Tour de France victory in 1969. Merckx was present for the ceremony. by eight minutes after riding alone for 140 km. He climbed the col du Tourmalet
in a small group including Roger Pingeon
and Raymond Poulidor
, having dropped Felice Gimondi
. On the final bend to the summit, Merckx attacked and opened a few seconds. By the foot of the col d'Aubisque
he had more than a minute and by the top eight minutes. He maintained the pace for the remaining 70 km to Mourenx, an industrial town near Pau. Antoine Blondin
wrote of la planète Merckx. In L'Équipe
Jacques Goddet
wrote simply
He won the general classification (yellow jersey), points classification
(green jersey) and the mountains classification. No other rider has achieved this triple in the Tour de France, and only Tony Rominger
and Laurent Jalabert
have matched it in any grand tourTony Rominger (1993) and Laurent Jalabert (1995) have won all 3 jerseys in the Vuelta a España Merckx also won the combination classification
and the combativity award
. Merckx led the race from stage six to twenty-two. His 17 minute 54 second margin of victory over second-placed Roger Pingeon
has never been matched since. It was the first time a Belgian had won the Tour since Sylvère Maes
30 years earlier, and Merckx became a national hero
.
, Merckx took the yellow jersey in the prologue, thrashing his bike. Jean-Paul Ollivier said:
, taking it back after seven stages at Valenciennes. He won the prologue, in road stages, the final time trial and on Mont Ventoux
. There he pushed himself so hard that he collapsed while talking to journalists, saying "No, it's impossible!" He was carried to an ambulance for oxygen. His eight stages equalled the record set in 1930 by Charles Pélissier
. He won the mountains classification and finished second in the sprinter's classification. He won by 12m 41s over Joop Zoetemelk
.
, both of which he won the first stage and held on to the lead of both races until the end. Merckx arrived at the start of the Tour which began that year in Mulhouse
to the pre-Tour hype which was summed up by former winner Jacques Anquetil
who, speaking on French television program Les Dossiers de l'Ecran the day before the race began, said he wished that Merckx would be defeated.
The only rider of the period to shake Merckx was the Spaniard, Luis Ocaña
, who lived near Mont-de-Marsan
in south-west France. Ocaña cared little for Merckx's reputation and attacked him on the Puy-de-Dôme
, dropping him but not taking the yellow jersey. Three days later, Ocaña attacked when the race reached the Alps. By Orcières-Merlette he had taken 8m 41s out of the Belgian. By then resentment had built at the way Merckx was winning everything. Chany wrote that
was quoted as saying: "When you know how much Merckx is earning, you sometimes lose the will to make an effort if you're paid in loose change [rabais]." The resentment left Merckx to chase Ocaña without help. One rider, Celestino Vercelli, said:
A rest day followed and then a stage from Orcières-Merlette to Marseille
. It started with 20 km downhill, followed by 280 km along a valley. Merckx and his team attacked from the start, led by Rini Wagtmans, immediately gaining several minutes. But the speed downhill and the heavier braking needed for bends led rims to overheat, melting the glue that held tyres to the rim. It happened to several riders and Merckx lost some of his teammates as a result. Vercelli said:
Merckx got to Marseille half an hour faster than the fastest expected time. The entire Kas
team finished outside the time limit but were reinstated. Only 1,000 spectators were at the finish early enough. Among those too late was the mayor of the city, Gaston Deferre,Gaston Defferre
was mayor of the city of Marseille for more than 30 years. He was repeatedly linked to dubious business ventures and to the Mafia. The city became Europe's biggest drug-provider in the two decades after the war, culminating in the so-called French Connection
. In 1983 he managed to be re-elected with fewer votes than his opponent, having changed the city's voting rules while also minister of the interior. who decided to see the finish at the last moment but arrived after the riders had left for the showers and the officials for their hotels. He forbade the Tour to return to the city for the rest of his career. It next stopped in Marseille in 1989, three years after his death.
Despite a stage that averaged 45.4 km/h, Merckx cut Ocaña's lead only to 7m 32s. He waited for the Pyrenees. There, on the col de Mente, hail and rain flooded the road. Pierre Chany said:
Unable to shake off Ocaña on the way up, Merckx tried to do so on the way down. The storm broke at the summit. Pierre Chany said:
Merckx missed a bend, hit a low wall and fell. He got up straight away but two spectators had gone to help him. Ocaña ran into them, crashed heavily and was hit by Zoetemelk and then two other riders who had been following by a few seconds. Merckx who was descending the mountain fell a further two times before hearing what had happened behind him. Ocaña's fall had taken him out of the race and gave the yellow jersey to Merckx, although he declined to wear it next morning in respect for the Spaniard. Merckx won the Tour by 9m 51s over Zoetemelk and 11m 6s over Lucien Van Impe
. After the Tour, the Belgian Cycling Federation named the team for the world championships and despite his wish to have several trade teammates on the team, Merckx would only have one trade teammate. In response, Merckx re-arranged his post-Tour schedule and trained with complete resolution to win. On a challenging circuit in Mendrisio
, Switzerland Merckx attacked several times and broke away with Felice Gimondi
who he beat in the sprint to take his second rainbow jersey
.
Merckx won the prologue at Angers
but lost the yellow jersey when Cyrille Guimard
won the following day at St-Brieuc. Guimard held the lead for seven stages, despite growing knee pain. Merckx won the stage at Luchon on day eight and with it the lead. He kept the yellow jersey to the end, winning the sprint competition and coming second to Van Impe in the mountains. The battle with Ocaña fizzled out when the Spaniard crashed in the Pyrenees again, falling on the Aubisque, and dropping out with a lung infection on the 15th day.
With four wins, Merckx was approaching Jacques Anquetil
's record of five, and the French public was becoming hostile. He had already been whistled at the finish in Vincennes
after winning in 1970. For that reason, the Tour organisers asked Merckx not to start in 1973; instead he won the Vuelta a España
, where he beat Luis Ocaña
and Bernard Thévenet
, and he won the Giro
.
and the Tour de France
, including its closing stage in Paris, within eight weeks. Far from challenging Merckx, Ocaña rode the Vuelta with bronchitis
, started the Midi-Libre but dropped out, then broke a bone in the Tour de 'Aude. His sponsor, the pen and lighter company, Bic
, fired him.The Ocaña episode ended Bic's sponsorship. The team wasn't pleased that he had raced when he was ill, nor to read in the papers rather than hear from Ocaña that he wouldn't ride the Tour. On the other hand, Ocaña had complained publicly that he had not been paid. The Baron Marcel Bich
, owner of Bic
, said the money had left him. When he heard that it hadn't reached Ocaña, he dropped out of professional cycling. See Raphaël Géminiani
.
The novelty of the Tour was its first excursion to England, for a criterium up and down an unopened bypass near Plymouth
. By the ninth stage, the race looked over. Patrick Sercu had the sprinters' jersey after winning three stages, and Merckx was in yellow. The Dutchman, Gerben Karstens
, challenged both by collecting repeated bonuses in the intermediate sprints each day but lost his chance in a war of words as well as wheels when Sercu and Merckx joined forces as rivals against a common enemy. The race then settled in to ride round France in a heatwave. And then, said Chany, came a remarkable attack on the Mont du Chat
, above Lac du Bourget
.
Poulidor's tentative attack didn't succeed and next day he lost five minutes. But he twice more bettered Merckx in the Pyrenees, at St-Lary and on the Tourmalet. Merckx won the Tour 8m 4s ahead of Poulidor and a further three in front of Vicente Lopez-Carril. It left journalists divided about whether they had seen a remarkable comeback by Poulidor or the first signs of vulnerability in Merckx. Michel Pollentier
, "at the price of unbelievable contortions [on his bike]", beat Merckx by 10 seconds in the time trial at Orléans
just before Paris.
Victory gave Merckx five wins in the Tour, equalling Anquetil. Over the next 25 years, only Bernard Hinault
and Miguel Indurain
were able to equal him. Then Lance Armstrong
won the Tour a sixth (2004) and a seventh (2005) time.
The finishing climb on the Puy de Dome (12 km, 7% gradient) was the beginning of the end for Merckx. The legendary giant of the Massif Central has provided the Tour with great drama over the years. This year's battle will write another chapter in Tour history. Just over 4 kilometers up the finishing climb, Thevenet charged off the front with Van Impe in tow. The two slowly pulled away from Merckx and Zoetemelk. The race leader, trying to limit his time loss, was forced to do all the work in pursuit of the breakaway. As Merckx tried to close the gap near the top of the climb he was punched by a spectator. Review of French TV film shows the man standing along side the road with his hands at his side. As Merckx passes him the man punches him in the lower right abdomen (not a kidney punch as has been claimed in the past) with as much force as he probably could from launching the punch from a hip position. Most of the force was pushed away as the man's arm was thrown back from the momentum of the movement of Merckx up the hill. Merckx grabbed his side for a second. But, a second later, he had both hands back on the handlebar and was moving at the same speed as he was before the spectator hit him. The image of the spectator is very clear in the film and it is not known whether or not he was identified and charged with assault on Merckx that day. The exhausted Merckx couldn't close the gap. But, he did hold on to finish third, 34 seconds behind Thevenet who was second and, Van Impe who was first. But, the Frenchman had landed a fatal blow that cut into the overall lead and trailed Merckx by only 58 seconds as the Tour headed into the Alps .
After a rest day in Nice, the Tour continued with a 5-climb stage. On the Col des Champs, the third climb of the day, Thevenet repeatedly attacked in an effort to crack the race leader. Gamely Merckx was able to cover all of Thevenet's moves and launched an attack of his own on the descent. Thevenet managed to catch Merckx in the valley just before the Col d'Allos. The always-aggressive Merckx, searching for weakness, attacked again on the Allos. Over the top with a lead, he plunges down the descent. On the narrow bumpy road, Merckx took all the risks necessary to gain time. He sailed through the bottom of the descent with over a minute lead on the Thevenet led chasers. The Cannibal now sets his sights on the final climb to the top of Pra Loup. He had a 2-minute lead on the chasers as the road turned upward.
Merckx was 6 km from putting the race out of reach. However, the long breakaway effort had taken its toll and Merckx begins to slow. Gimondi was the first to catch the leader, then Thevenet, then Van Impe and Zoetemelk. The Frenchman sensed a weakness and sprinted by the tired race leader. Thevenet took the stage win by 1'58” over Merckx and gained the race lead.
Inspired by the Maillot Jaune, Thevenet attacked on the next stage and rode away from the Merckx group on the classic climb of the Col d'Izoard. He rode alone to win his second stage in a row. Thevenet's win and time gain widen the gap to the now second placed Merckx to 3'20”. There was still one climbing stage remaining in the Alps and Merckx need time gains.
Eddy Merckx has one intention at the start of stage 17 in Valloire, get back the Maillot Jaune. Merckx launched an all-out attack from the starting line, 225 km from the finish at the top of the Col d'Avoriaz. Misfortune struck early when Merckx slid and crashed heavily. Although injured, he quickly remounted his bicycle and continued the race. His injuries include a bruised hip and knee, as well as a broken jaw, but he continued to ride hard. Although struggling to breathe, he refused treatment. By the end of the stage, the injured Cannibal finished third, 2 second ahead of Thevenet. The “never say die” Belgian was fighting all adversities to the end.
Gamely Merckx gained another 15 seconds on the final ITT in Chatel, but the finish in Paris was only four flat stages away. When the Tour reached the final stage, Thevenet had an insurmountable 2'47” lead on Merckx and cruised down the Champs Elysees for his first Tour de France victory. Gracious in defeat the second placed Merckx said, “I tried everything and it didn't work. It's always the strongest that wins, and the strongest is Thevenet.” The winner returned the compliment saying, “Tell me who was second to you and I will tell you the value of your victory.”
He said riding the 1975 Tour did not in itself shorten his career, but...
and walking to the top because it was too steep to get back in the saddle. A saddle sore still troubled him and his doctor told him not to ride the Tour.
on Alpe d'Huez
. Didi Thurau
, a 22-year-old German, beat him in the Pyrenees and bettered him by 50 seconds in the time trial. With Géminiani, his manager in the Fiat
team, he had agreed to ride a light start to the season with the aim of a sixth win. But having been outridden by both Thurau and Thévenet, he fell ill. Chany wrote:
By St-Étienne, Merckx had risen to sixth place and began talking of riding the Tour again in 1978, "stupifying those who heard him and splitting his team," according to Chany. The 1977 Tour collapsed into a doping scandal when Zoetemelk was found guilty. Rumours abounded about others. Thévenet won for the second time and four months later said he had succeeded by taking cortisone
. Merckx finished sixth, 12m 38s behind. He never did ride in 1978, the year which produced the first victory by Bernard Hinault
, the next to win the Tour de France five times.
in 1968
, 1970
, 1972
, 1973
and 1974
. Following his 1968 win, he said he knew he could win the Tour de France. He won 24 Giro stages in his career. His final victory came in a battle with the Italians Gianbattista Baronchelli
, who he beat by 12 seconds, and Felice Gimondi
, who lost by 33 seconds.
and Rik van Steenbergen
had done before him, and only Óscar Freire
would do after him. Because of his victories in the three most important races of the year, the 1974 Tour de France
, the 1974 Giro d'Italia
and the 1974 world championship, Merckx won the Triple Crown of Cycling
. Since then, only Stephen Roche
has been able to do that, in 1987.
, (See Significant victories by race). Among highlights are a record seven victories in Milan – San Remo (absolute record in one classic), two in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, three in Paris–Roubaix, five in Liège–Bastogne–Liège (record), and two in the Giro di Lombardia, a total of 19 victories. He also won the world road championship a record three times in 1967, 1971 and 1974, and most of the major classic races, a notable exception being Paris–Tours.
The only rider to have won all the classics is Rik van Looy, Merckx having missed Paris–Tours. A lesser Belgian rider, Noël van Tyghem, won Paris–Tours in 1972 and said:
Merckx also won 17 six-day
track races, often with Patrick Sercu
.
Merckx set the hour record
in 1972. On 25 October, after he had raced a full road season winning the Tour, Giro and four classics, Merckx covered 49.431 km at high altitude in Mexico City
. The American writer, Owen Mulholland, wrote:
Merckx said:
The record remained untouched until 1984, when Francesco Moser
broke it using a specially designed bicycle and meticulous improvements in streamlining. Over 15 years, various racers improved the record to more than 56 km. However, because of the increasingly exotic design of the bikes and position of the rider, these performances were no longer reasonably comparable to Merckx's achievement. In response, the UCI
in 2000 required a "traditional" bike to be used. When time trial specialist Chris Boardman
, who had retired from road racing and had prepared himself specifically for beating the record, had another go at Merckx's distance 28 years later, he beat it by slightly more than 10 meters (at sea level).
towards the end of the season. A pacer and a cyclist fell in front of Merckx's pacer, Fernand Wambst. Wambst died instantly, and Merckx was knocked unconscious. He cracked a vertebra and twisted his pelvis. He said his riding was never the same after the injuries. He frequently adjusted his saddle
while riding – including coming down the col de la Faucille on the way to Divonne-les-Bains
– and was often in pain, especially while climbing. He said:
but he tested positive three times. The first time was in the 1969 Giro d'Italia
where he tested positive for the stimulant Reactivan at Savona
, after leading the race through 16 stages. He was expelled from the Giro. The controversy began to swirl when his test results were not handled in the correct manner, they were released to the press before all parties (Merckx and team officials) involved were notified. Merckx was very upset, and to this day, protests his innocence. He argued there were no counter-experts nor counter-analysis. He said the stage during which he was allegedly using drugs was easy so there was no need. He said:
"I've never seen sporting opinion so inflamed," wrote Marcel De Leener from Belgium. "Even members of parliament have got themselves involved in the affair; the Opposition has questioned the minister of public health in the Lower Chamber, the Cabinet is in an uproar, the Foreign Minister has questioned his opposite number in Italy. In the streets, in factories, in offices, in public transport, they talk of little else." The Italian federation stuck by its findings but the Belgians refused to agree and it took four hours of debate in Brussels for the professional section of the Union Cycliste Internationale
to quash his sentence. The president of the Fédération Internationale du Cyclisme Professional was Félix Lévitan
, organiser of the Tour de France. It was diplomacy and, "let us be frank, hypocrisy too", reported Cycling. The hearing praised the Italians and accepted their evidence; however, Merckx was cleared to ride the Tour. De Leener said:
Prince Albert
of Belgium sent a plane to bring him to Belgium.
Merckx was also found positive after winning the Giro di Lombardia in 1973. He had taken Mucantil (Iodinated glycerol). He said in 2007 that he wanted the Union Cycliste Internationale
to give him back his victory. He said:
The World Anti-Doping Agency
removed norephedrine, phenylpropanolamine
, from the list of banned drugs in 2004.
Then he was caught after taking Stimul in the 1975 Flèche Wallonne. Merckx said:
In 1977 the Belgian doctor, Professor Michel Debackere, perfected a test for pémoline
, an amphetamine-like drug, and caught three of the biggest names in Belgium: Merckx, Freddy Maertens
and Michel Pollentier
.
Because of his doping record, the organisers of the 2007 World Championships
in Stuttgart
asked Merckx to stay away. The decision was criticized in the press and by the UCI. When he confirms his stance against doping, Merckx points out that cycling is unfairly treated compared to other sports.
In the 1990s, he became a friend of Lance Armstrong
and supported him when he was accused of drug use, stating he rather "believed what Lance told him than what appeared in newspapers".
at Kluisbergen
on 17 July 1977. His last race was the Omloop van het Waasland, at Kemzeke
on 19 March 1978. He finished 12th. He had already abandoned the Omloop Het Volk, exhausted. His sponsor, the clothing chain, C&A
, had supported his team only after long and difficult negotiations and did not intend to continue next season. Merckx told his soigneur, Pierrot De Wit, during their journey home that he had ridden his last race. De Wit argued but Merckx announced his decision at a press conference in Brussels on 18 May 1978. Merckx said:
Having retired, Merckx has a bicycle factory which carries his name. He said:
Merckx is a race commentator on RTBF
television. He was coach of the Belgian national cycling team during the mid-90s, and part of the Belgian Olympic Committee
. Merckx is still asked to comment as an authority. As such, he was advisor for the Tour of Qatar in 2002. He lives in Meise
, Vlaams-Brabant
.
-: did not participate
Exp.: disqualified by doping
, a suburb of Brussels. The mayor said: "Sometimes I am envious of cycling champions. When they win, there is always a pretty girl to give them a kiss. For my part, no one kisses me when I have a good win, so I'm going to profit from this occasion by kissing the bride now." The witnesses to the marriage were Merckx's manager, Jean van Buggenhout, and a cabinet-maker from Etterbeek
, who taught Merckx to ride a bike. The religious service which followed was in Merckx's local church rather than his bride's. Merckx's mother asked the priest, Father Fabien, to celebrate the ceremony in French, a choice that ended up being a contentious issue in Belgium.Brussels is a largely French-speaking enclave in the Dutch-speaking, northern half of Belgium. History, changes in regional prosperity and different attitudes have long separated Belgium more than geographically. Merckx, who is bilingual, was born in one of the few regions of Brussels in which both languages were spoken but more Dutch than French. He then lived in one in which the languages were reversed His command of both languages and his residence in Brussels meant both communities claimed him. Even his name confuses the situation. Merckx, with its consonants, is a Dutch-sounding name. The contraction of Edouard to "Eddy" is a French customary nickname. Had he been a pure Fleming, it would probably have been shortened to "Ward". Merckx has always resisted saying whether he feels aligned to one community more than another. He finished high in both the Flemish (3rd) and Walloon (4th) editions of the Greatest Belgian
contest in 2005. The priest said: "You are now started on a tandem race; believe me, it will not be easy." The couple have two children: a daughter (Sabrina) and a son, Axel
, who also became a professional cyclist.
In 1996 Albert II of Belgium
King of the Belgians, gave him the title of baron
. In 2000 he was chosen Belgian "Sports Figure of the Century". In March 2000 he was received by the Pope in the Vatican
.
Merckx is known as a quiet and modest person. Three of his former riders have worked in his bicycle factory and join him during recreational bike tours. When he finished third behind Father Damien
and Paul Janssen
in the Greatest Belgian contest, after being one of the favourites, he said that Merckx has become an ambassador for the foundation, named after the Catholic priest, which battles leprosy
and other diseases in development countries.
Merckx is an art lover. He said:
In May 2004, he had an esophagus
operation to cure stomach ache suffered since he was young. He lost almost 30 kg and took up recreational cycling again.
Tielt-Winge
Tielt-Winge is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Houwaart, Meensel-Kiezegem, Sint-Joris-Winge and Tielt. On January 1, 2006 Tielt-Winge had a total population of 10,009. The total area is 44.16 km² which gives a population...
), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time. He won the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
five times, won all the monuments
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
of cycling at least twice, with 19 monument victories in all, won the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
five times and the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
once, won the world championship once as an amateur and three times as a professional, and broke the world hour record
Hour record
The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several records. The most famous is for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale . It is one of the most prestigious in cycling...
.
Origins
Eddy Merckx was one of three children born to a couple who ran a grocery in the middle-class area of Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, near BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium. His brother and sister are twins. The family moved to the suburb when he was young. He said:
He acquired his first racing bike, second-hand, when he was eight. His hero was Stan Ockers
Stan Ockers
Constant Ockers was a Belgian professional racing cyclist.He was runner-up in the Tour de France in 1950 and 1952, and the best sprinter in that race in 1955 and 1956. In 1955 he won the Classic "Ardennes double" by winning La Flèche Wallonne and the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in the same year...
, who died in a fall on an Antwerp track in 1956.
Merckx said:
Early career
Merckx rode his first race at Laeken on 16 July 1961, riding for the Evere Kerkhoek Sportif club. He rode 12 races before winning his first, at Petit-Enghien, on 1 October 1961. The French magazine, Vélo, said:Eddy Merckx was a spoiled child of the post-war generation. Very spoiled, in fact. To see that, you have only to look at photos of his youth: Eddy dressed as a page boy, as an injured soldier (his sister played the role of nurse), as a cowboy, the Merckx family on winter sports holidays, Eddy and his father's PlymouthPlymouth (automobile)Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
car. So many memories of a happy childhood far, very far, from those of a van LooyRik Van LooyHenri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals...
or a CoppiFausto CoppiAngelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
. He was often reproached for it, but was it his fault if God gave him so much? From his win at Hal [the year after his first victory], he started to live the life of a proper professional. Félicien VervaeckeFélicien VervaeckeFélicien Vervaecke was a Belgian professional cyclist from 1930 to 1939. In the Tour de France he showed good results, finishing three times on the podium...
, an excellent rider from the 1930s, king of the mountains in the Tours de France of 1935 and 1937, second to Gino BartaliGino BartaliGino Bartali, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia twice and the Tour de France in 1938...
in 1938, drove him to the track at Schaerbeek every Tuesday. Then Guillaume Michiels, another celebrity, took over.
Merckx moved from the youth to the senior amateur class two months early. At the time, riders had to wait until their 18th birthday. Merckx later said:
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
rode with him in newcomers' and junior races on the track at the Palais des Sports in Brussels. Merckx could not beat him on the track but Sercu said that when he saw Merckx on the road he believed he was looking at a future winner of the Tour de France.
Olympic Games and world championship
In 1964, he rode the road race at the 1964 Summer OlympicsCycling at the 1964 Summer Olympics - Men's individual road race
The men's individual road race was a road bicycle racing event held as part of the Cycling at the 1964 Summer Olympics programme. It was held on 22 October 1964. The course, just short of 25 kilometres, was covered 8 times for a total distance of 194.832 kilometres. 139 cyclists from 37 nations...
and finished 12th.The British weekly, Cycling, had only his surname in a report about the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
supplied by a news agency. Needing to add a name, the magazine gambled and referred to him as "Willi Merckx." In the same year, he became world amateur champion
World Cycling Championship
The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial...
at Sallanches
Sallanches
Sallanches is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Media:Sallanches is mentioned in American author Willa Cather's 1935 novel Lucy Gayheart.-External links:*...
, France. He said his victory was tainted by the long list of riders who had won the amateur championship and done nothing afterwards. Merckx said of the race:
Turning professional
He turned professional on 29 April 1965, after 80 wins as an amateur. He joined Solo-Superia under Rik van Looy
Rik Van Looy
Henri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals...
. One of the other riders was Jean van Buggenhout, who became his manager. His first win was at Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie...
on 11 May. He came second to Walter Godefroot
Walter Godefroot
Walter Godefroot is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer and former directeur sportif of , later known as T-Mobile Team, professional team....
in the national championship and was picked for the national team for the world championship near San Sebastian
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Spain. The race was won by Tom Simpson
Tom Simpson
Tom Simpson was the most successful English road racing cyclist of the post-war years. He infamously died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour de France in 1967...
. Simpson rode normally for Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
and Merckx moved there the following year after nine wins with Solo. There he won the first of seven editions of Milan – San Remo still aged 20.
In 1967 he repeated his 1966 Milan – San Remo success and also won La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...
. His first grand tour was the 1967 Giro d'Italia
1967 Giro d'Italia
The 1967 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 50th edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 20 May to 11 June 1967. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Felice Gimondi.- Final classment:- Maglia rosa holders:- Other jerseys:...
, in which he won two stages and finished ninth. Later that year he out-sprinted Jan Janssen and the Spaniard Ramon Saez to become world professional champion at Heerlen
Heerlen
Heerlen is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the province of Limburg. It forms part of Parkstad Limburg, , an agglomeration of about 220,000 inhabitants.After its early Roman beginnings and a rather modest medieval period, Heerlen...
, Netherlands. Cycling
Cycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
's reporter, said:
A gamble which paid off won the world professional title for Eddy Merckx, three years after his amateur victory, the quickest 'conversion' in history, and justification of a policy of careful preparation rather than opportunism. The tall Belgian, who with his countryman Jean AertsJean AertsJean Aerts was a Belgian road bicycle racer who specialized as a sprinter. Aerts became the first man to win both the world amateur and professional road race championships...
(now a radio commentator) is the only road-man to have done the double, had led the race from the first lap... So they came to the sprint, which was as clean as one could have hoped, the five men giving one another no mercy, yet sprinting as straight as a die following a lead by the ever-aggressive Jos van der Vleuten, who blotted his copybook by refusing a dope-test after the finish. Merckx was flanked by Janssen on his left, Saez on his right, two redoubtable sprinters at the end of a long hard race, yet he left them no opportunity of getting by.
Merckx was earning 125,000 Belgian francs a year when he won the championship (approx €2,000 at 2008 values). He didn't buy his first car until he had been a professional for three years.
Move to Italy
At Peugeot, Merckx had to pay for his wheels and tyres. In 1968 he moved to the Italian FaemaFaema
FAEMA primarily engaged in the production of espresso machines, was founded in 1945 by Carlo Ernesto Valente, in Milan, Italy....
team. The Italian coffee machine company had returned to sponsorship, having backed teams led by van Looy and others in the past. He said:
Faema, however, had no interest in the Tour de France, Merckx said.
Coca-Cola offered Merckx a million Belgian francs to ride in 1968, van Buggenhout urged him to accept, but Merckx refused believing himself not strong enough to ride both the Giro – which was important to Faema- and the Tour – which wasn't.In 1968 Merckx decided he was not strong enough to ride both the Giro and the Tour, so declined the Tour. The Giro was more important to his team. Merckx has never regretted the decision, not least because that year's race – the "Tour of Health" as it was billed after the death of Tom Simpson the previous year – turned into a slow procession which led the organiser, Félix Lévitan
Félix Lévitan
Félix Lévitan was the third organiser of the Tour de France, a role he shared for much of the time with Jacques Goddet...
, to accuse journalists who complained of reporting "with tired eyes", after which the journalists went on strike. The 1968 race was ridden by national rather than trade teams, which explains why Faema
Faema
FAEMA primarily engaged in the production of espresso machines, was founded in 1945 by Carlo Ernesto Valente, in Milan, Italy....
was less interested.
Merckx won Paris–Roubaix and started his domination of the grands tours by becoming the first Belgian to win the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
in 1968
1968 Giro d'Italia
The 1968 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 51st edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 20 May to 11 June 1968. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Eddy Merckx.- Final classment:- Maglia rosa holders:- Other jerseys:...
. He did this another four times, equalling the record of five by Alfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda was an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s, later trainer of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Binda was the first multiple Giro d'Italia champion, securing five victories between 1925 and 1933 that redefined the way stage races were ridden...
and Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi
Angelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
.
In 1969, he first won Paris–Nice. In the time trial, he overtook the five-time Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
winner, Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
, who for 15 years had been the world's best time-triallist. Merckx won Milan – San Remo, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
During the 1969 Giro d'Italia
1969 Giro d'Italia
The 1969 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 52nd edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 16 May to 8 June 1969. It consisted of 23 stages and was won by Felice Gimondi....
, he was found to have used drugs and was disqualified (See below – Doping).
Tour de France
1969 Tour de France
The 1969 Tour de France1969 Tour de France
The 1969 Tour de France was the 56th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 20, 1969. It consisted of 22 stages over 4110 km , ridden at an average speed of 35.409 km/h...
was the first which Merckx won, even though he was almost deprived of it by a doctor in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
who found abnormalities in his heart rhythm. Merckx was cleared to start after medical colleagues said the hearts of endurance athletes were often unusual.
The French historian Jean-Paul Ollivier said:
"Faema had become practically a Belgian team through its riders. The crafty Guillaume Driessens had become directeur sportifDirecteur sportifA directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
and performed a psychological exercise of the highest importance, not hiding from anyone that he intended to construct a monolithic block: everyone for Merckx.",
Faema drew number one in the draw for places in the opening prologue
Prologue
A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Greek prologos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance...
, a time-trial over 10.4 km at Roubaix
Roubaix
Roubaix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.-Culture:...
. Driessens chose Merckx, a decision which surprised because the first rider has no other performances by which to pace his ride. He lost six seconds to Rudi Altig
Rudi Altig
Rudi Altig is a former professional track and road racing cyclist who won the 1962 Vuelta a España and the world championship in 1966. He is now a television commentator.-Amateur career:...
because of a headwind in the outward stretch that dropped for later starters. But he took his first yellow jersey in his home of Woluwe-St-Pierre at the end of a 15.6 km team time trial
Team time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
. In stage two, ending in Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Merckx allowed his teammate Julien Stevens
Julien Stevens
Julien Stevens is a retired Belgian cyclist who raced from 1963 to 1977. Stevens spent most part of his career employed to help other riders, such as Rik van Steenbergen, Rik van Looy and Eddy Merckx...
to take over the yellow jersey because it is difficult for a favorite to lead the race from the early stages and withstand his rival's attacks for so many days. Merckx reclaimed the lead in stage six on Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, views include the Vosges, the Rhine valley, and the Black Forest.A road leads over a pass near the peak at ....
, in the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
of eastern France where he attacked Roger De Vlaeminck
Roger De Vlaeminck
Roger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as '"The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation"...
, Altig, Rini Wagtmans
Rini Wagtmans
Marinus Wagtmans is a former Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He was the nephew of Wout Wagtmans, a former professional who had won the Tour de Romandie stage race in 1952. His father was a masseur while Tour de France stage winner Wim van Est was his neighbour. In 1968 Rini turned...
and Manuel Galera. Pierre Chany
Pierre Chany
Pierre Chany was a French cycling journalist. He covered the Tour de France 49 times and was for a long time the main cycling writer for the daily newspaper, L'Équipe.- Biography :...
wrote:
At the approach to the Ballon, Merckx came out of the bunch like a bullet... From the first slopes, he pushed the pace harder and dropped those who'd gone with him, judged a nuisance and of no use. At the summit, Altig had lost two minutes, the main challengers for victory were at 4m 30s, and Désiré Letort, who was wearing the yellow jersey, was relegated by more than seven minutes.
Merckx won the 17th stage, over four cols from Luchon to Mourenx
Mourenx
Mourenx is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
The "Eddy Merckx" velodrome at Mourenx was named in his honour on the 30th anniversary of his first Tour de France victory in 1969. Merckx was present for the ceremony. by eight minutes after riding alone for 140 km. He climbed the col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet is the highest road in the central Pyrenees in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of the way up. Luz-Saint-Sauveur is at the bottom of the western side.Tourmalet is also a...
in a small group including Roger Pingeon
Roger Pingeon
Roger Pingeon is a retired professional road bicycle racer from France. He raced as a professional from 1964 to 1974. In 1967, Pingeon won the Tour de France. In 1969, Pingeon won the Vuelta a España and came second behind Eddy Merckx in the Tour de France.-Major achievements:19641965...
and Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor , is a former professional bicycle racer. He was known as the eternal second, because he finished the Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times, including his final Tour at the age of 40...
, having dropped Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi is an Italian former professional racing cyclist.With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France , Giro...
. On the final bend to the summit, Merckx attacked and opened a few seconds. By the foot of the col d'Aubisque
Col d'Aubisque
The Col d'Aubisque is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees 30 km south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques , in the Aquitaine region of France....
he had more than a minute and by the top eight minutes. He maintained the pace for the remaining 70 km to Mourenx, an industrial town near Pau. Antoine Blondin
Antoine Blondin
Antoine Blondin was a French writer.He belonged to the literary group called the Hussards. He was also a sports columnist in L'Équipe. Blondin also wrote under the name Tenorio.-Biography:...
wrote of la planète Merckx. In L'Équipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
Jacques Goddet
Jacques Goddet
Jacques Goddet was a French sports journalist and director of the Tour de France from 1936 to 1986....
wrote simply
He won the general classification (yellow jersey), points classification
Points classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
(green jersey) and the mountains classification. No other rider has achieved this triple in the Tour de France, and only Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
and Laurent Jalabert
Laurent Jalabert
Laurent Jalabert is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002. Affectionately known as "Jaja" , he won many one-day and stage races and was ranked number 1 in the 1990s...
have matched it in any grand tourTony Rominger (1993) and Laurent Jalabert (1995) have won all 3 jerseys in the Vuelta a España Merckx also won the combination classification
Combination jersey
The combination jersey is the jersey in the Tour de France that was worn by the leader of the combination classification.- History :...
and the combativity award
Combativity award
The combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
. Merckx led the race from stage six to twenty-two. His 17 minute 54 second margin of victory over second-placed Roger Pingeon
Roger Pingeon
Roger Pingeon is a retired professional road bicycle racer from France. He raced as a professional from 1964 to 1974. In 1967, Pingeon won the Tour de France. In 1969, Pingeon won the Vuelta a España and came second behind Eddy Merckx in the Tour de France.-Major achievements:19641965...
has never been matched since. It was the first time a Belgian had won the Tour since Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes
Sylvère Maes was a Belgian cyclist, who is most famous for winning the Tour de France in 1936 and 1939.- Palmarès :1932...
30 years earlier, and Merckx became a national hero
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
.
1970 Tour de France
In the 1970 Tour de France1970 Tour de France
The 1970 Tour de France was the 57th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 19, 1970. It consisted of 23 stages over 4366 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.589 km/h....
, Merckx took the yellow jersey in the prologue, thrashing his bike. Jean-Paul Ollivier said:
"At the peak of effort he looks on his bike as though he is fighting an imaginary enemy. He is a pedaller of violence, but the violence is carefully directed, balanced, transformed into efficient energy. He already sees himself [est déjà entré dans la peau de] the winner of the Tour."As the previous year he let the yellow jersey pass to a teammate, this time Italo Zilioli
Italo Zilioli
Italo Zilioli is an Italian former professional cyclist.Born in Turin, as a professional he won 58 races, including the 1966 Züri-Metzgete...
, taking it back after seven stages at Valenciennes. He won the prologue, in road stages, the final time trial and on Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
. There he pushed himself so hard that he collapsed while talking to journalists, saying "No, it's impossible!" He was carried to an ambulance for oxygen. His eight stages equalled the record set in 1930 by Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier
Charles Pélissier was a French racing cyclist, professional between 1922 and 1939, who won 16 stages in the Tour de France. The number of eight stages won in the 1930 Tour de France is still a record, shared with Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens...
. He won the mountains classification and finished second in the sprinter's classification. He won by 12m 41s over Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
.
1971 Tour de France
Merckx chose a different preparation for his third Tour de France in 1971. In order to arrive fresher and as well to be in better condition in the autumn, Merckx choose not to defend his title at the Tour of Italy and instead rode two week long stage races, the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and the Grand Prix du Midi LibreGrand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
, both of which he won the first stage and held on to the lead of both races until the end. Merckx arrived at the start of the Tour which began that year in Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
to the pre-Tour hype which was summed up by former winner Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
who, speaking on French television program Les Dossiers de l'Ecran the day before the race began, said he wished that Merckx would be defeated.
The only rider of the period to shake Merckx was the Spaniard, Luis Ocaña
Luis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
, who lived near Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control...
in south-west France. Ocaña cared little for Merckx's reputation and attacked him on the Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme is a department in the centre of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy-de-Dôme.Inhabitants were called Puydedomois until December 2005...
, dropping him but not taking the yellow jersey. Three days later, Ocaña attacked when the race reached the Alps. By Orcières-Merlette he had taken 8m 41s out of the Belgian. By then resentment had built at the way Merckx was winning everything. Chany wrote that
There was a feeling that it would be good for cycling if he lost.The title on the front page of Paris-Match was: "Is Merckx going to kill the Tour?" A rider at the Grand Prix du Midi Libre
Grand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
was quoted as saying: "When you know how much Merckx is earning, you sometimes lose the will to make an effort if you're paid in loose change [rabais]." The resentment left Merckx to chase Ocaña without help. One rider, Celestino Vercelli, said:
Merckx never let anybody break away. But that day... we don't know.... The start was on an upgrade and he wasn't that brilliant in the beginning. Maybe he was still warming up and his adversaries, Luis Ocaña, Joaquim Agostinho, Joop Zoetemelk, noticed that and decided to break away immediately. It cost him dearly because the stage was long and very hard and there were four or five climbs. He took it badly, because it had never happened to him to be behind and lose so much time. Usually he was the one who was nine minutes in front the others!
A rest day followed and then a stage from Orcières-Merlette to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. It started with 20 km downhill, followed by 280 km along a valley. Merckx and his team attacked from the start, led by Rini Wagtmans, immediately gaining several minutes. But the speed downhill and the heavier braking needed for bends led rims to overheat, melting the glue that held tyres to the rim. It happened to several riders and Merckx lost some of his teammates as a result. Vercelli said:
Merckx needed to recover the nine minutes he lost and he meant to do so by arriving in the valley with several minutes' lead with a good group of about eight riders. This way it would have been very difficult for the rest of the peloton behind to catch them in the 280km of the valley. In the 280 km of flat road he personally pulled the group for 250 km on his own! And of course the peloton behind him went very fast. There were all Merckx's adversaries and they were all interested in catching him. They all worked together for that. It was basically Merckx alone against all the others.
Merckx got to Marseille half an hour faster than the fastest expected time. The entire Kas
Kas
Kas is the brand name of soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It comes in grapefruit, orange , lemon , bitter , and apple flavors. Kasfruit juices are also offered in multiple flavors...
team finished outside the time limit but were reinstated. Only 1,000 spectators were at the finish early enough. Among those too late was the mayor of the city, Gaston Deferre,Gaston Defferre
Gaston Defferre
Gaston Defferre was a French socialist politician.-Biography:Lawyer and member of the French Section of the Workers' International political party, he was a member of the Brutus Network, a Resistance Socialist group during World War II...
was mayor of the city of Marseille for more than 30 years. He was repeatedly linked to dubious business ventures and to the Mafia. The city became Europe's biggest drug-provider in the two decades after the war, culminating in the so-called French Connection
The French Connection (film)
This article is about the 1971 film. For the British fashion label, see French Connection .The French Connection is a 1971 American crime film directed by William Friedkin. The film was adapted and fictionalized by Ernest Tidyman from the non-fiction book by Robin Moore...
. In 1983 he managed to be re-elected with fewer votes than his opponent, having changed the city's voting rules while also minister of the interior. who decided to see the finish at the last moment but arrived after the riders had left for the showers and the officials for their hotels. He forbade the Tour to return to the city for the rest of his career. It next stopped in Marseille in 1989, three years after his death.
Despite a stage that averaged 45.4 km/h, Merckx cut Ocaña's lead only to 7m 32s. He waited for the Pyrenees. There, on the col de Mente, hail and rain flooded the road. Pierre Chany said:
... [Merckx] attacked in a rage several times, out of the saddle and bent over his bars, Ocaña in his wake. He multiplied the attacks, changed from one side of the road to the other ceaselessly to get Ocaña off his wheel, but in vain.
Unable to shake off Ocaña on the way up, Merckx tried to do so on the way down. The storm broke at the summit. Pierre Chany said:
... worse than a storm, ... a cataclysm. ... "hail fell, visibility was zero, brakes no longer worked; riders were taking the descent with their feet on the road to slow them."
Merckx missed a bend, hit a low wall and fell. He got up straight away but two spectators had gone to help him. Ocaña ran into them, crashed heavily and was hit by Zoetemelk and then two other riders who had been following by a few seconds. Merckx who was descending the mountain fell a further two times before hearing what had happened behind him. Ocaña's fall had taken him out of the race and gave the yellow jersey to Merckx, although he declined to wear it next morning in respect for the Spaniard. Merckx won the Tour by 9m 51s over Zoetemelk and 11m 6s over Lucien Van Impe
Lucien Van Impe
Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France...
. After the Tour, the Belgian Cycling Federation named the team for the world championships and despite his wish to have several trade teammates on the team, Merckx would only have one trade teammate. In response, Merckx re-arranged his post-Tour schedule and trained with complete resolution to win. On a challenging circuit in Mendrisio
Mendrisio
Mendrisio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian speaking Switzerland ....
, Switzerland Merckx attacked several times and broke away with Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi is an Italian former professional racing cyclist.With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France , Giro...
who he beat in the sprint to take his second rainbow jersey
Rainbow jersey
The Rainbow jersey is the distinctive jersey worn by the reigning world champion in a bicycle racing discipline. The jersey is predominantly white with five horizontal bands in the UCI colours around the chest. From the bottom up the colours are: green, yellow, black, red and blue; the same colours...
.
1972 Tour de France
In 1972, there was anticipation of a rematch between Merckx and Ocaña. The Spaniard insisted that Merckx would never have won but for the crash. Merckx replied:Merckx won the prologue at Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
but lost the yellow jersey when Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard is a French former professional road racing cyclist who became a directeur sportif and then a television commentator...
won the following day at St-Brieuc. Guimard held the lead for seven stages, despite growing knee pain. Merckx won the stage at Luchon on day eight and with it the lead. He kept the yellow jersey to the end, winning the sprint competition and coming second to Van Impe in the mountains. The battle with Ocaña fizzled out when the Spaniard crashed in the Pyrenees again, falling on the Aubisque, and dropping out with a lung infection on the 15th day.
With four wins, Merckx was approaching Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
's record of five, and the French public was becoming hostile. He had already been whistled at the finish in Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
after winning in 1970. For that reason, the Tour organisers asked Merckx not to start in 1973; instead he won the Vuelta a España
1973 Vuelta a España
The 28th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 13, 1973. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,061 km, and was won by Eddy Merckx of the Molteni cycling team...
, where he beat Luis Ocaña
Luis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
and Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet, born 10 January 1948, in Saint-Julien-de-Civry, Saône-et-Loire, is a retired French bicycle racer. He is a two-time winner of the Tour de France and known for ending the reign of five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx...
, and he won the Giro
1973 Giro d'Italia
The 1973 Giro d'Italia was held from 18 May to 9 June 1973, starting from Verviers in Belgium. It was won by Eddy Merckx.This 56th edition covered 3,801 km at an average speed of 35.553 km/h, for a total of 20 stages.- General classification :...
.
1974 Tour de France
By 1974, "the wear and tear was beginning to show," Merckx acknowledged. Yet he still won the Giro, the Tour de SuisseTour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
and the Tour de France
1974 Tour de France
The 1974 Tour de France was the 61st Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1974. It consisted of 22 stages over 4098 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.241 km/h...
, including its closing stage in Paris, within eight weeks. Far from challenging Merckx, Ocaña rode the Vuelta with bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
, started the Midi-Libre but dropped out, then broke a bone in the Tour de 'Aude. His sponsor, the pen and lighter company, Bic
Société Bic
Société Bic is a company based in Clichy, France, founded in 1945, by Baron Marcel Bich known for making disposable products including lighters, magnets, ballpoint pens, shaving razors and watersports products. It competes in most markets against Faber-Castell, Global Gillette, Newell Rubbermaid...
, fired him.The Ocaña episode ended Bic's sponsorship. The team wasn't pleased that he had raced when he was ill, nor to read in the papers rather than hear from Ocaña that he wouldn't ride the Tour. On the other hand, Ocaña had complained publicly that he had not been paid. The Baron Marcel Bich
Marcel Bich
Marcel Bich was the co-founder of Bic, the world's leading producer of ballpoint pens.-History:In 1945, Bich and his partner, Edouard Buffard, bought an empty factory near Paris, France...
, owner of Bic
Société Bic
Société Bic is a company based in Clichy, France, founded in 1945, by Baron Marcel Bich known for making disposable products including lighters, magnets, ballpoint pens, shaving razors and watersports products. It competes in most markets against Faber-Castell, Global Gillette, Newell Rubbermaid...
, said the money had left him. When he heard that it hadn't reached Ocaña, he dropped out of professional cycling. See Raphaël Géminiani
Raphael Geminiani
Raphaël Géminiani is a French former road bicycle racer. He had six podium finishes in the Grand Tours. He is one of four children of Italian immigrants who moved to Clermont-Ferrand. He worked in a cycle shop and started racing as a boy...
.
The novelty of the Tour was its first excursion to England, for a criterium up and down an unopened bypass near Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. By the ninth stage, the race looked over. Patrick Sercu had the sprinters' jersey after winning three stages, and Merckx was in yellow. The Dutchman, Gerben Karstens
Gerben Karstens
Gerben Karstens is a former professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal in the 100 km team trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, alongside Bart Zoet, Evert Dolman, and Jan Pieterse...
, challenged both by collecting repeated bonuses in the intermediate sprints each day but lost his chance in a war of words as well as wheels when Sercu and Merckx joined forces as rivals against a common enemy. The race then settled in to ride round France in a heatwave. And then, said Chany, came a remarkable attack on the Mont du Chat
La Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat
La Chapelle-du-Mont-du-Chat is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
, above Lac du Bourget
Lac du Bourget
The lac du Bourget is a lake in the Savoie department of France. It is the largest and the deepest lake located entirely within France. The most important town on its shore is Aix-les-Bains. Chambéry, the capital of Savoie, lies about 10 km south of the lake. The lake is named after the town Le...
.
Gonzalo AjaGonzalo Aja finished fifth overall in the 1974 Tour de France had broken away on this very modest second-category climb and Jos Bruyère and Merckx were at the front of the rest of the race as it rode slowly towards the summit, when Louis CaputLouis CaputLouis Caput was a French professional racing cyclist and then team manager. He won Paris–Tours in 1948, and two stages of the Tour de France. He was national champion in 1946.-Career:...
drove up through the group with a blast on his klaxon. He drew Poulidor's attention and gestured to him to attack. Imagine the surprise to see the Limousin, almost 40 years old, obey instantly. He attacked and, just as surprising, Merckx stayed where he was. The crowd couldn't believe their eyes, seeing Poulidor riding past them a hundred metres ahead of the maillot jaune. The contrast of styles showed the contrast of their powers. The Limousin took the climb as much out of the saddle as in it, his cap askew, without weakening. The Belgian was back-bent on his bicycle, sweat trickling down his face, pushing heavily on the pedals, losing time and showing his new limits in the mountains.
Poulidor's tentative attack didn't succeed and next day he lost five minutes. But he twice more bettered Merckx in the Pyrenees, at St-Lary and on the Tourmalet. Merckx won the Tour 8m 4s ahead of Poulidor and a further three in front of Vicente Lopez-Carril. It left journalists divided about whether they had seen a remarkable comeback by Poulidor or the first signs of vulnerability in Merckx. Michel Pollentier
Michel Pollentier
Michel Pollentier is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He became professional in 1973. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1977 Giro d'Italia....
, "at the price of unbelievable contortions [on his bike]", beat Merckx by 10 seconds in the time trial at Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
just before Paris.
Victory gave Merckx five wins in the Tour, equalling Anquetil. Over the next 25 years, only Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
and Miguel Indurain
Miguel Indurain
Miguel Ángel Indurain Larraya is a retired Spanish road racing cyclist. He won five consecutive Tour de Frances from 1991 and 1995, the first to do so, and the fourth athlete to win five times. He won the Giro d'Italia twice, becoming one of only seven people in history to achieve the Giro Tour...
were able to equal him. Then Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
won the Tour a sixth (2004) and a seventh (2005) time.
1975 Tour de France
Merckx's domination in the grands tours ended in 1975. The race started well – he held the yellow jersey for eight days, raising his total to 96 – but ended in disappointment.The finishing climb on the Puy de Dome (12 km, 7% gradient) was the beginning of the end for Merckx. The legendary giant of the Massif Central has provided the Tour with great drama over the years. This year's battle will write another chapter in Tour history. Just over 4 kilometers up the finishing climb, Thevenet charged off the front with Van Impe in tow. The two slowly pulled away from Merckx and Zoetemelk. The race leader, trying to limit his time loss, was forced to do all the work in pursuit of the breakaway. As Merckx tried to close the gap near the top of the climb he was punched by a spectator. Review of French TV film shows the man standing along side the road with his hands at his side. As Merckx passes him the man punches him in the lower right abdomen (not a kidney punch as has been claimed in the past) with as much force as he probably could from launching the punch from a hip position. Most of the force was pushed away as the man's arm was thrown back from the momentum of the movement of Merckx up the hill. Merckx grabbed his side for a second. But, a second later, he had both hands back on the handlebar and was moving at the same speed as he was before the spectator hit him. The image of the spectator is very clear in the film and it is not known whether or not he was identified and charged with assault on Merckx that day. The exhausted Merckx couldn't close the gap. But, he did hold on to finish third, 34 seconds behind Thevenet who was second and, Van Impe who was first. But, the Frenchman had landed a fatal blow that cut into the overall lead and trailed Merckx by only 58 seconds as the Tour headed into the Alps .
After a rest day in Nice, the Tour continued with a 5-climb stage. On the Col des Champs, the third climb of the day, Thevenet repeatedly attacked in an effort to crack the race leader. Gamely Merckx was able to cover all of Thevenet's moves and launched an attack of his own on the descent. Thevenet managed to catch Merckx in the valley just before the Col d'Allos. The always-aggressive Merckx, searching for weakness, attacked again on the Allos. Over the top with a lead, he plunges down the descent. On the narrow bumpy road, Merckx took all the risks necessary to gain time. He sailed through the bottom of the descent with over a minute lead on the Thevenet led chasers. The Cannibal now sets his sights on the final climb to the top of Pra Loup. He had a 2-minute lead on the chasers as the road turned upward.
Merckx was 6 km from putting the race out of reach. However, the long breakaway effort had taken its toll and Merckx begins to slow. Gimondi was the first to catch the leader, then Thevenet, then Van Impe and Zoetemelk. The Frenchman sensed a weakness and sprinted by the tired race leader. Thevenet took the stage win by 1'58” over Merckx and gained the race lead.
Inspired by the Maillot Jaune, Thevenet attacked on the next stage and rode away from the Merckx group on the classic climb of the Col d'Izoard. He rode alone to win his second stage in a row. Thevenet's win and time gain widen the gap to the now second placed Merckx to 3'20”. There was still one climbing stage remaining in the Alps and Merckx need time gains.
Eddy Merckx has one intention at the start of stage 17 in Valloire, get back the Maillot Jaune. Merckx launched an all-out attack from the starting line, 225 km from the finish at the top of the Col d'Avoriaz. Misfortune struck early when Merckx slid and crashed heavily. Although injured, he quickly remounted his bicycle and continued the race. His injuries include a bruised hip and knee, as well as a broken jaw, but he continued to ride hard. Although struggling to breathe, he refused treatment. By the end of the stage, the injured Cannibal finished third, 2 second ahead of Thevenet. The “never say die” Belgian was fighting all adversities to the end.
Gamely Merckx gained another 15 seconds on the final ITT in Chatel, but the finish in Paris was only four flat stages away. When the Tour reached the final stage, Thevenet had an insurmountable 2'47” lead on Merckx and cruised down the Champs Elysees for his first Tour de France victory. Gracious in defeat the second placed Merckx said, “I tried everything and it didn't work. It's always the strongest that wins, and the strongest is Thevenet.” The winner returned the compliment saying, “Tell me who was second to you and I will tell you the value of your victory.”
He said riding the 1975 Tour did not in itself shorten his career, but...
1976 Tour de France
Merckx began 1976 by winning his seventh Milan – San Remo but missed winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen after falling on the KoppenbergKoppenberg
Koppenberg is a high hill in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium...
and walking to the top because it was too steep to get back in the saddle. A saddle sore still troubled him and his doctor told him not to ride the Tour.
1977 Tour de France
The 1977 Tour was one too many for Merckx. He suffered on the col de la Madeleine and lost 13 seconds to Hennie KuiperHennie Kuiper
Hennie Kuiper is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist. His career includes a gold medal in the Olympic road race at Munich in 1972, becoming world professional road race champion in 1975, as well as winning four of the five “Monument” classics...
on Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
. Didi Thurau
Dietrich Thurau
Dietrich Thurau is a retired German professional road bicycle racer. His biggest career achievements include winning the one-day classic, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his home country's Deutschland Tour and surprising the field at the 1977 Tour de France by capturing four stages and holding the yellow...
, a 22-year-old German, beat him in the Pyrenees and bettered him by 50 seconds in the time trial. With Géminiani, his manager in the Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
team, he had agreed to ride a light start to the season with the aim of a sixth win. But having been outridden by both Thurau and Thévenet, he fell ill. Chany wrote:
In the Alps, Dietrich Thurau paid the bill for his inexperience and his incapacity above 1,500m altitude. He lost the yellow jersey, which passed to Thévenet, in the climb to Avoriaz, where Zoetemelk pulled off a highly athletic performance. Tenth at two minutes to the Dutchman, Eddy Merckx was suffering a little. Forty-eight hours later, between ChamonixChamonixChamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
and the Alpe d'Huez, the Belgian, ill but determined to defend his reputation, suffered a very long Calvary and finished in a highly pronounced fatigue, a quarter of an hour behind the leaders.
By St-Étienne, Merckx had risen to sixth place and began talking of riding the Tour again in 1978, "stupifying those who heard him and splitting his team," according to Chany. The 1977 Tour collapsed into a doping scandal when Zoetemelk was found guilty. Rumours abounded about others. Thévenet won for the second time and four months later said he had succeeded by taking cortisone
Cortisone
Cortisone is a steroid hormone. It is one of the main hormones released by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In chemical structure, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone. It is used to treat a variety of ailments and can be administered intravenously, orally,...
. Merckx finished sixth, 12m 38s behind. He never did ride in 1978, the year which produced the first victory by Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
, the next to win the Tour de France five times.
Giro d'Italia
Merckx won the Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
in 1968
1968 Giro d'Italia
The 1968 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 51st edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 20 May to 11 June 1968. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Eddy Merckx.- Final classment:- Maglia rosa holders:- Other jerseys:...
, 1970
1970 Giro d'Italia
The 1970 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 53rd edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 18 May to 7 June 1970. It consisted of 20 stages and was won by Eddy Merckx.-General classification:The top ten of the general classification:- Pink jersey holders:...
, 1972
1972 Giro d'Italia
The 1972 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 55th running of the race, was held from 21 May to 11 June 1972, consisting of 20 stages. It was won by Eddy Merckx.-Final classment:-Maglia rosa holders:-Other jerseys:...
, 1973
1973 Giro d'Italia
The 1973 Giro d'Italia was held from 18 May to 9 June 1973, starting from Verviers in Belgium. It was won by Eddy Merckx.This 56th edition covered 3,801 km at an average speed of 35.553 km/h, for a total of 20 stages.- General classification :...
and 1974
1974 Giro d'Italia
The 1974 Giro d'Italia was held from 16 May to June 8, 1974, starting from Vatican City. It was won by the Belgian Eddy Merckx.This 57th edition covered 4,001 km at an average speed of 35.364 km/h, for a total of 22 stages....
. Following his 1968 win, he said he knew he could win the Tour de France. He won 24 Giro stages in his career. His final victory came in a battle with the Italians Gianbattista Baronchelli
Gianbattista Baronchelli
Gianbattista Baronchelli is an Italian retired professional road racing cyclist . He obtained a total of 94 victories....
, who he beat by 12 seconds, and Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi is an Italian former professional racing cyclist.With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France , Giro...
, who lost by 33 seconds.
World championship 1974
Merckx also won the world championship in 1974 for the third time, which only Alfredo BindaAlfredo Binda
Alfredo Binda was an Italian cyclist of the 1920s and 1930s, later trainer of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Binda was the first multiple Giro d'Italia champion, securing five victories between 1925 and 1933 that redefined the way stage races were ridden...
and Rik van Steenbergen
Rik Van Steenbergen
Rik Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.-Early life:...
had done before him, and only Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
would do after him. Because of his victories in the three most important races of the year, the 1974 Tour de France
1974 Tour de France
The 1974 Tour de France was the 61st Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1974. It consisted of 22 stages over 4098 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.241 km/h...
, the 1974 Giro d'Italia
1974 Giro d'Italia
The 1974 Giro d'Italia was held from 16 May to June 8, 1974, starting from Vatican City. It was won by the Belgian Eddy Merckx.This 57th edition covered 4,001 km at an average speed of 35.364 km/h, for a total of 22 stages....
and the 1974 world championship, Merckx won the Triple Crown of Cycling
Triple Crown of Cycling
The Triple Crown of Cycling is considered the greatest achievement in cycling. Although more definitions for the term are used, mostly it means winning the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Road World Cycling Championship in one year, although occasionally a broader definition where one...
. Since then, only Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche is a retired professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship...
has been able to do that, in 1987.
Classics victories
Merckx had an impressive list of victories in one-day races, the Classic cycle racesClassic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
, (See Significant victories by race). Among highlights are a record seven victories in Milan – San Remo (absolute record in one classic), two in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, three in Paris–Roubaix, five in Liège–Bastogne–Liège (record), and two in the Giro di Lombardia, a total of 19 victories. He also won the world road championship a record three times in 1967, 1971 and 1974, and most of the major classic races, a notable exception being Paris–Tours.
The only rider to have won all the classics is Rik van Looy, Merckx having missed Paris–Tours. A lesser Belgian rider, Noël van Tyghem, won Paris–Tours in 1972 and said:
Merckx also won 17 six-day
Six-day racing
A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual...
track races, often with Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
.
Win rate
In his best year, Merckx won almost every other race he rode. Merckx won the equivalent of a race a week for six years. This table shows his strike rate of wins as a percentage of races undertaken.
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Hour record
Hour record
The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several records. The most famous is for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale . It is one of the most prestigious in cycling...
in 1972. On 25 October, after he had raced a full road season winning the Tour, Giro and four classics, Merckx covered 49.431 km at high altitude in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. The American writer, Owen Mulholland, wrote:
At 8:56 exactly, Eddy Merckx began his great ride. A bell was sounded each lap. If he were on schedule he should be crossing the start line as it sounded. After the first two laps Eddy was a quarter lap up! Giogi Albani, who had the job of standing where Merckx actually was when the bell was rung, had a hard time keeping up! Merckx's first kilometer passed in 1m 10s and five kilometres in 5m 55.7. Already Eddy was 14 seconds up on Ole RitterOle RitterOle Ritter is a former Danish racing cyclist.-Amateur years:As an amateur he rode for ABC Denmark....
's record to this point. Onlookers couldn't believe their eyes. A second five kilometres in 5m 58s obliterated Ritter's 10 km time by five seconds. Ritter's 20 km time was eclipsed by 11 seconds. And remember, Ritter had set his records on a special ride separate from his hour attempt. Compared to Ritter's hour pace, Merckx was 35s ahead at 20 km. Albani urged Merckx to slow a bit, and he did, dropping to a 6m 7s per 5 km pace for the next seven five-kilometre segments. Around 35 km Merckx showed signs of being human. He fidgeted on his seat and the grimace on his face revealed the superhuman effort he was making. There was never a question of his taking the record; the only question was by how much. Far from fading, his last two kilometres were reeled off in 1m 13s and 1m 12s. Still, he could barely speak when he first dismounted. Pictures of the moment show his face a mask of pain. It wasn't long, though, before Eddy regained his normal composure and was able to answer questions.
Merckx said:
The record remained untouched until 1984, when Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments...
broke it using a specially designed bicycle and meticulous improvements in streamlining. Over 15 years, various racers improved the record to more than 56 km. However, because of the increasingly exotic design of the bikes and position of the rider, these performances were no longer reasonably comparable to Merckx's achievement. In response, the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
in 2000 required a "traditional" bike to be used. When time trial specialist Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman
Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...
, who had retired from road racing and had prepared himself specifically for beating the record, had another go at Merckx's distance 28 years later, he beat it by slightly more than 10 meters (at sea level).
Records
The other records Merckx set:- Most career victories by a professional cyclist: 525.
- Most victories in one season: 54.
- Most stage victories in the Tour de France: 34.
- Most stage victories in one Tour de France: 8, in 1970 and 1974 (shared with Charles PélissierCharles PélissierCharles Pélissier was a French racing cyclist, professional between 1922 and 1939, who won 16 stages in the Tour de France. The number of eight stages won in the 1930 Tour de France is still a record, shared with Eddy Merckx and Freddy Maertens...
in 1930 and Freddy MaertensFreddy MaertensFreddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :...
in 1976). - Most days with the yellow jerseyMaillot jaune statisticsSince the first Tour de France in 1903, there have been 1,994 stages, up to and including the 21st stage of the 2011 Tour de France. Since 1919, the race leader following each stage has been awarded the yellow jersey ....
in the Tour de France: 96. - The only cyclist to have won the general classification, points classificationPoints classification in the Tour de FranceThe points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
and mountains classification in the same Tour de France (1969). - Most victories in classics: 28.
- Most victories in one single classic: 7 (in Milan – San Remo).
- Most Grand TourGrand Tour (cycling)In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
Victories 11
Track crash
In 1969 Merckx crashed in a derny race in BloisBlois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
towards the end of the season. A pacer and a cyclist fell in front of Merckx's pacer, Fernand Wambst. Wambst died instantly, and Merckx was knocked unconscious. He cracked a vertebra and twisted his pelvis. He said his riding was never the same after the injuries. He frequently adjusted his saddle
Bicycle saddle
A bicycle saddle, often called a seat, is one of three contact points on an upright bicycle, the others being the pedals and the handlebars.The bicycle saddle has been known as such since the bicycle evolved from the draisine, a forerunner of the bicycle...
while riding – including coming down the col de la Faucille on the way to Divonne-les-Bains
Divonne-les-Bains
Divonne-les-Bains, is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.It is a popular spa town.Divonne lies on the border with French-speaking Switzerland, between the foot of the Jura mountains and Lake Geneva. Geneva itself is 20 minutes away on the Swiss autoroute to the south-west...
– and was often in pain, especially while climbing. He said:
Doping
Merckx has condemned dopingDoping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
but he tested positive three times. The first time was in the 1969 Giro d'Italia
1969 Giro d'Italia
The 1969 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 52nd edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 16 May to 8 June 1969. It consisted of 23 stages and was won by Felice Gimondi....
where he tested positive for the stimulant Reactivan at Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
, after leading the race through 16 stages. He was expelled from the Giro. The controversy began to swirl when his test results were not handled in the correct manner, they were released to the press before all parties (Merckx and team officials) involved were notified. Merckx was very upset, and to this day, protests his innocence. He argued there were no counter-experts nor counter-analysis. He said the stage during which he was allegedly using drugs was easy so there was no need. He said:
"I've never seen sporting opinion so inflamed," wrote Marcel De Leener from Belgium. "Even members of parliament have got themselves involved in the affair; the Opposition has questioned the minister of public health in the Lower Chamber, the Cabinet is in an uproar, the Foreign Minister has questioned his opposite number in Italy. In the streets, in factories, in offices, in public transport, they talk of little else." The Italian federation stuck by its findings but the Belgians refused to agree and it took four hours of debate in Brussels for the professional section of the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
to quash his sentence. The president of the Fédération Internationale du Cyclisme Professional was Félix Lévitan
Félix Lévitan
Félix Lévitan was the third organiser of the Tour de France, a role he shared for much of the time with Jacques Goddet...
, organiser of the Tour de France. It was diplomacy and, "let us be frank, hypocrisy too", reported Cycling. The hearing praised the Italians and accepted their evidence; however, Merckx was cleared to ride the Tour. De Leener said:
If on the one hand they have recognised the skill and competence of the doctors in charge of the controls in the Giro, they also took into account the fact that Eddy Merckx had never been found guilty of this before. In other words, they judged the affair sentimentally, with their hearts, instead of considering all the dry facts. If this were not Merckx, would all these artifices have been resorted to? No, without any shadow of doubt, no."
Prince Albert
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
of Belgium sent a plane to bring him to Belgium.
Merckx was also found positive after winning the Giro di Lombardia in 1973. He had taken Mucantil (Iodinated glycerol). He said in 2007 that he wanted the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
to give him back his victory. He said:
The World Anti-Doping Agency
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
removed norephedrine, phenylpropanolamine
Phenylpropanolamine
Phenylpropanolamine , also known as the stereoisomers norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine, is a psychoactive drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes which is used as a stimulant, decongestant, and anorectic agent. It is commonly used in prescription and over-the-counter cough...
, from the list of banned drugs in 2004.
Then he was caught after taking Stimul in the 1975 Flèche Wallonne. Merckx said:
In 1977 the Belgian doctor, Professor Michel Debackere, perfected a test for pémoline
Pemoline
Pemoline was first synthesized in 1913 but it's activity was not discovered until the 1930s. Under the names it was used as a medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. Under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, it is a Schedule IV drug...
, an amphetamine-like drug, and caught three of the biggest names in Belgium: Merckx, Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :...
and Michel Pollentier
Michel Pollentier
Michel Pollentier is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He became professional in 1973. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1977 Giro d'Italia....
.
Because of his doping record, the organisers of the 2007 World Championships
2007 UCI Road World Championships
The 2007 UCI Road World Championships took place in Stuttgart, Germany, between September 25 and September 30, 2007. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women and men under 23...
in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
asked Merckx to stay away. The decision was criticized in the press and by the UCI. When he confirms his stance against doping, Merckx points out that cycling is unfairly treated compared to other sports.
In the 1990s, he became a friend of Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
and supported him when he was accused of drug use, stating he rather "believed what Lance told him than what appeared in newspapers".
Retirement
Merckx's last victory was a criteriumCriterium
A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....
at Kluisbergen
Kluisbergen
Kluisbergen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Berchem, Kwaremont, Ruien and Zulzeke. On January 1, 2006 Kluisbergen had a total population of 6,161. The total area is 30.38 km² which gives a population density of 203...
on 17 July 1977. His last race was the Omloop van het Waasland, at Kemzeke
Kemzeke
Kemzeke is a village in the Belgian municipality of Stekene in the province of East-Flanders. Until 1976 it was an independent municipality. It sits between the Dutch border and the limit with Sint-Niklaas.Eddy Merckx rode his last cycling race in Kemzeke....
on 19 March 1978. He finished 12th. He had already abandoned the Omloop Het Volk, exhausted. His sponsor, the clothing chain, C&A
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
, had supported his team only after long and difficult negotiations and did not intend to continue next season. Merckx told his soigneur, Pierrot De Wit, during their journey home that he had ridden his last race. De Wit argued but Merckx announced his decision at a press conference in Brussels on 18 May 1978. Merckx said:
Having retired, Merckx has a bicycle factory which carries his name. He said:
Merckx is a race commentator on RTBF
RTBF
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
television. He was coach of the Belgian national cycling team during the mid-90s, and part of the Belgian Olympic Committee
Belgian Olympic Committee
The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee , abbreviated to COIB or BOIC, is the National Olympic Committee for Belgium. It was founded in 1906 and the administrative seat is located in Brussels.-List of presidents:...
. Merckx is still asked to comment as an authority. As such, he was advisor for the Tour of Qatar in 2002. He lives in Meise
Meise
Meise is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Meise proper and Wolvertem , and, several smaller villages like Sint-Brixius-Rode, Oppem, Meusegem, Impde/Imde, Rossem, Westrode and quarters as Bouchout, Nerom and Slozen. As of...
, Vlaams-Brabant
Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven...
.
Grand Tours and World Championship
| Grand Tour | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
- | 9 1967 Giro d'Italia The 1967 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 50th edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 20 May to 11 June 1967. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Felice Gimondi.- Final classment:- Maglia rosa holders:- Other jerseys:... |
1 1968 Giro d'Italia The 1968 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 51st edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 20 May to 11 June 1968. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Eddy Merckx.- Final classment:- Maglia rosa holders:- Other jerseys:... |
Exp. 1969 Giro d'Italia The 1969 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 52nd edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 16 May to 8 June 1969. It consisted of 23 stages and was won by Felice Gimondi.... |
1 1970 Giro d'Italia The 1970 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 53rd edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 18 May to 7 June 1970. It consisted of 20 stages and was won by Eddy Merckx.-General classification:The top ten of the general classification:- Pink jersey holders:... |
- | 1 1972 Giro d'Italia The 1972 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 55th running of the race, was held from 21 May to 11 June 1972, consisting of 20 stages. It was won by Eddy Merckx.-Final classment:-Maglia rosa holders:-Other jerseys:... |
1 1973 Giro d'Italia The 1973 Giro d'Italia was held from 18 May to 9 June 1973, starting from Verviers in Belgium. It was won by Eddy Merckx.This 56th edition covered 3,801 km at an average speed of 35.553 km/h, for a total of 20 stages.- General classification :... |
1 1974 Giro d'Italia The 1974 Giro d'Italia was held from 16 May to June 8, 1974, starting from Vatican City. It was won by the Belgian Eddy Merckx.This 57th edition covered 4,001 km at an average speed of 35.364 km/h, for a total of 22 stages.... |
- | 8 1976 Giro d'Italia The 1976 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 59th running of the race, was held from 21 May to 12 June 1976, consisting of 22 stages. It was won by Felice Gimondi.- General classification :- Maglia rosa holders :- Other jerseys:... |
- |
| Tour de France Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
- | - | - | 1 1969 Tour de France The 1969 Tour de France was the 56th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 20, 1969. It consisted of 22 stages over 4110 km , ridden at an average speed of 35.409 km/h... |
1 1970 Tour de France The 1970 Tour de France was the 57th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 19, 1970. It consisted of 23 stages over 4366 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.589 km/h.... |
1 1971 Tour de France The 1971 Tour de France was the 58th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 18, 1971. It consisted of 22 stages over , ridden at an average speed of .... |
1 1972 Tour de France The 1972 Tour de France was the 59th Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 22, 1972. It consisted of 20 stages over 3846.6 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.371 km/h. The long awaited clash between Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña after Ocaña crashed on Col de Menté in the 1971 Tour de... |
- | 1 1974 Tour de France The 1974 Tour de France was the 61st Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1974. It consisted of 22 stages over 4098 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.241 km/h... |
2 1975 Tour de France The 1975 Tour de France was the 62nd Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 20, 1975. It consisted of 22 stages over 3999 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.899 km/h. Eddy Merckx was attempting to win his sixth Tour de France, but became a victim of violence. Many Frenchmen were... |
- | 6 1977 Tour de France The 1977 Tour de France was the 64th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 24, 1977. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4096 km, with riders averaging 35.419 km/h.... |
| Vuelta a España Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 1973 Vuelta a España The 28th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 13, 1973. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,061 km, and was won by Eddy Merckx of the Molteni cycling team... |
- | - | - | - |
World Championship  |
12 | 1 | 8 | Ab. | 29 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 33 |
-: did not participate
Exp.: disqualified by doping
Personal life
In December 1967 Merckx married Claudine Acou, a 21-year-old teacher, daughter of Lucien Acou, trainer of the national amateur team. The couple married at the town hall in AnderlechtAnderlecht
Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region.There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality.-Pronunciation:* Dutch: * French:...
, a suburb of Brussels. The mayor said: "Sometimes I am envious of cycling champions. When they win, there is always a pretty girl to give them a kiss. For my part, no one kisses me when I have a good win, so I'm going to profit from this occasion by kissing the bride now." The witnesses to the marriage were Merckx's manager, Jean van Buggenhout, and a cabinet-maker from Etterbeek
Etterbeek
Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It neighbours the municipalities of the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Schaerbeek....
, who taught Merckx to ride a bike. The religious service which followed was in Merckx's local church rather than his bride's. Merckx's mother asked the priest, Father Fabien, to celebrate the ceremony in French, a choice that ended up being a contentious issue in Belgium.Brussels is a largely French-speaking enclave in the Dutch-speaking, northern half of Belgium. History, changes in regional prosperity and different attitudes have long separated Belgium more than geographically. Merckx, who is bilingual, was born in one of the few regions of Brussels in which both languages were spoken but more Dutch than French. He then lived in one in which the languages were reversed His command of both languages and his residence in Brussels meant both communities claimed him. Even his name confuses the situation. Merckx, with its consonants, is a Dutch-sounding name. The contraction of Edouard to "Eddy" is a French customary nickname. Had he been a pure Fleming, it would probably have been shortened to "Ward". Merckx has always resisted saying whether he feels aligned to one community more than another. He finished high in both the Flemish (3rd) and Walloon (4th) editions of the Greatest Belgian
De Grootste Belg
De Grootste Belg was a 2005 vote conducted by Belgian public TV broadcaster Canvas, public radio broadcaster Radio 1, and newspaper De Standaard, to determine who is the Greatest Belgian of all time...
contest in 2005. The priest said: "You are now started on a tandem race; believe me, it will not be easy." The couple have two children: a daughter (Sabrina) and a son, Axel
Axel Merckx
Axel Merckx , is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer who retired from the sport in August 2007. Since he began his professional career in 1993, he has won an Olympic Bronze medal and competed in 8 Tours de France, finishing in 6 as the highest-placed Belgian rider...
, who also became a professional cyclist.
In 1996 Albert II of Belgium
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
King of the Belgians, gave him the title of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
. In 2000 he was chosen Belgian "Sports Figure of the Century". In March 2000 he was received by the Pope in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
.
Merckx is known as a quiet and modest person. Three of his former riders have worked in his bicycle factory and join him during recreational bike tours. When he finished third behind Father Damien
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. , born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious order...
and Paul Janssen
Paul Janssen
Paul Adriaan Jan, Baron Janssen was the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, a pharmaceutical company with over 20,000 employees. In 2005 he finished as runner up, after Father Damien, in the poll for The Greatest Belgian organized by the regional Flemish television...
in the Greatest Belgian contest, after being one of the favourites, he said that Merckx has become an ambassador for the foundation, named after the Catholic priest, which battles leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
and other diseases in development countries.
Merckx is an art lover. He said:
In May 2004, he had an esophagus
Esophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
operation to cure stomach ache suffered since he was young. He lost almost 30 kg and took up recreational cycling again.
Cultural references
Merckx was celebrated in many ways, including records called Eddy is de Kampioen by De Zanger Zonder Naam, Eddy Neemt de Gele Trui by Frankie, and Eddy Merckx by Cyriel- When the United States Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
visited BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in 2005, she met Merckx as a cultural representative of Belgium. - The Eddy Merckx metro stationEddy Merckx metro stationEddy Merckx is a Metro station on the western branch of Line 5 of the Brussels Metro. It is named after Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx, five time winner of the Tour de France....
on the Brussels metroBrussels MetroThe Brussels Metro is a rapid transit system serving a large part of the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It consists of a network with four metro line services with some shared sections. The metro has 49.9 km of network and 59 stations...
is named in his honour. It is on the western branch of line 5. It was opened on 15 September 2003. The bike on which he broke the hour record is displayed there. - In the comic stripComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
AsterixAsterixAsterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
, Merckx has a cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as a "fast runner" in the album Asterix in BelgiumAsterix in BelgiumAsterix in Belgium is the twenty-fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo .It is noted as the last Asterix story Goscinny worked on...
. - In 2000, the Belgian magazine KnackKnack (magazine)Knack is a Belgian weekly newsmagazine covering local news, sports, business, jobs, and community events.It was founded in 1971 and quickly grew out to be a leading Belgian magazine. Currently it has a circulation of about 121.780....
declared him Belgian of the Century and, four years later, the magazine HUMOHUMOHUMO is a popular Belgian weekly radio and television magazine, written in Dutch.Originally the magazine was titled Humoradio, a portmanteau of 'humor' and 'radio'....
called him the Greatest Belgian. - In the mid-seventies Merckx figured in television commercials for cigarettes, for which he was criticized and which he now regrets.
- Merckx had cameos in several movies, of which the 1985 film American FlyersAmerican FlyersAmerican Flyers is a 1985 film starring Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul and Janice Rule about bicycle racing....
, starring Kevin CostnerKevin CostnerKevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
, is the best known. He was attending the Coors International Bicycle ClassicCoors ClassicThe Coors International Bicycle Classic was a stage race sponsored by the Coors Brewing Company. Coors was the race's second sponsor, the first, Celestial Seasonings, named the race after its premium tea Red Zinger, which began in 1975...
in Colorado and fired the starting pistol in the movie which was being shot in and around the Classic. The fictional race in the film called Hell of the West, was based on the real Coors Classic.