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EspañolEDDY MERCKX
Baron 'Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx' () (born June 17 1945, Meensel-Kiezegem, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium) is a former Belgian professional cyclist. Merckx, regarded as the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time, established several world cycling records, some of which remain unbroken to this day.
Racing career
Early successes in stage racing and single day races
Merckx started competing in 1961. Three years later he became world champion in the amateur category, before turning professional in 1965. In 1966 he won the first of seven editions of Milan-Sanremo. He started his first grand tour at the 1967 ''Giro d'Italia''. He won his first stage here and finished seventh overall. Later that year he outsprinted Jan Janssen to become world champion in the professional category in Heerlen, The Netherlands. He won this title twice more.
In 1968 with the rainbow jersey on his back and a change to the Italian Faema team, Merckx went on to win Paris-Roubaix for the first time and started his domination of the Grand Tours by becoming the first Belgian to win the ''Giro d'Italia'' in 1968.[1] He would repeat this four times.
Starting the 1969 season, he won Paris-Nice stage race. In the time trial, he overtook the five-time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil who over the previous 15years had been the master of that discipline. Merckx went on to win Milan-Sanremo and Ronde van Vlaanderen several weeks later. In his ''Tour de France'' debut in 1969, Merckx immediately won the yellow jersey (overall leader), the green jersey (best sprinter) and the red polka-dotted jersey ("King of the Mountains" - best climber in the mountain stages). No other cyclist has achieved this triple in the ''Tour de France'', and only Tony Rominger and Laurent Jalabert have been able to match this feat at the Grand Tour level, in the 1993 and 1995 ''Vueltas'', respectively. If the young riders' white jersey (for best rider in the Tour under 25 years of age) had existed at that time, Merckx would have won that as well, as he had only just turned 24. It was the first time a Belgian had won the Tour de France since Sylvère Maes 30 years earlier, and Merckx became a national hero. He won the Tour four more times: in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974, equalling Jacques Anquetil. Over the next 25 years, only Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain were able to equal the five victories. Then Lance Armstrong won the Tour a sixth (2004) and a seventh (2005) time. Merckx still holds the records for stage wins (34) and number of days in the Yellow Jersey (96).
Challenges to Merckx's domination in the Grand Tours
The greatest challenge to Merckx was in the 1971 Tour de France. Luis Ocana attacked and won the maillot jaune by several minutes. Ocana held his lead until a crash forced him to withdraw. There was much anticipation of a rematch between the two. Before that could happen, Merckx had a battle with Jose Manuel Fuente at the 1972 edition of the Giro d'Italia in which Merckx beat the climber in the mountain stages. In the 1972 edition of the tour Ocana became sick and withdrew and the anticipated duel did not materialise.[2] The following year Merckx choose to ride the Vuelta a España where he beat Luis Ocana and Bernard Thévenet and then went on to win the Giro d'Italia. Merckx's final victory in the Giro d'Italia in the 1974 edition was a tight battle between Merckx and two Italians. In the end, Merckx won by the very narrow margin of twelve seconds over Gianbattista Baronchelli and 33 seconds over Felice Gimondi.[3]
Classics Victories
In addition to Grand Tour successes, Merckx has an impressive list of victories in one-day races (for a comprehensive list, see lower down). Among the highlights are a record of seven victories in Milan-Sanremo, two victories in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, three wins in Paris-Roubaix, five in Liège-Bastogne-Liège (record), and two in the Giro di Lombardia, a total of 19 victories in the Classics. He also won the ''World Road Racing Championship'' a record three times in 1967, 1971 and 1974, and every Classic except Paris-Tours. Finally, he won 17 ''six-day'' track races, often with Patrick Sercu.
Merckx retired from racing in 1978, at the age of 33.
Setbacks and lesser days
The blackest day in Merckx's career was in 1969, when he crashed in a derny race towards the end of the season. A pacer and a cyclist fell in front of Merckx's pacer, Fernand Wambst, causing Wambst and Merckx to crash. His pacer was killed instantly, and Merckx suffered concussion and fell unconscious. This accident cracked a vertebra and twisted his pelvis. He admitted in interviews that, because of his injuries, his riding was never the same. He kept adjusting his saddle while riding and would always be in pain, especially while climbing.
That same year, during the ''Giro d'Italia'', was found to have used drugs and disqualified. He cried in front of reporters and still protests his innocence. He argued that there were no counter-experts nor counter-analysis and that foreign supporters hated him. Further, he stated that the stage during which he was allegedly using drugs was an easy one, so there was no need to use drugs. The Belgian prince sent a plane to bring him to Belgium. This incident was one of the reasons why Merckx would consider his first ''Tour de France'' victory, later that year, his best ever.
The end of his Tour-career came in 1975 (although he did compete in 1977 he finished 6th that year). That year, he attempted to win his sixth but became a victim of violence. Many Frenchmen were upset that a Belgian might beat the record five wins set by Jacques Anquetil. Merckx held the yellow jersey for eight days, which raised his record to 96 days, but during stage 14 a French spectator punched him in the liver. A later collision with the Danish rider Ole Ritter broke his jaw. Although he could not eat solid food and was barely able to talk, Merckx did not retire. During the last stage, he attacked leader Bernard Thevenet (but was caught by the peloton).
Records
The following are records that Merckx set during his career.
★ 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 Pelissier in 1930 and Freddy Maertens in 1976).
★ Most days with the yellow jersey in the ''Tour de France'': 96.
★ The only cyclist to have won the yellow, green and red polka-dotted jersey in the same Tour de France (1969).
★ Most victories in the Classic cycle races: 28.
★ Most victories in one single Classic cycle race: 7 (in Milan-Sanremo).
Hour record
Merckx also set the hour record in 1972. On October 25, he covered 49.431 km at high altitude in Mexico City. 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 (Chris Boardman). 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 UCIin 2000 required a "traditional" bike to be used. When Boardman had another go at Merckx's reinstated record 28 years later, he beat it by slightly more than 10 meters at sea level. On the other hand, Merckx had raced a full road season winning the Tour, Giro and four Classics, while Boardman was a time trial specialist who had retired from road racing and had prepared specifically for the 2000 Hour Record.)
The Eddy Merckx bicycle factory in Meise.
After retirement
Having retired, Merckx has a bicycle factory [1] and is a race commentator. 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 on cycling. As such, he has also figured as special advisor for the recent UCI addition "Tour of Qatar" since 2002.
In May 2004, he underwent an esophagus operation to cure the constant stomach ache which he suffered since he was a young man. He lost almost 30kg in the process, and took up (recreational) cycling again.
Personal life
In 1967 Merckx married Claudine Acou. Merckx's mother asked the priest to celebrate the ceremony in French, a choice that ended up being a contentious issue in Belgium. They had two children: a daughter (Sabrina) and a son (Axel, who also became a professional cyclist).
Despite this early incident, Merckx may be considered a perfect ambassador to Belgium (''i.e.'' not leaning towards Flanders or Wallonia, but supporting the unity of the country). This, with his achievements, pushed him to high rankings in both the Flemish (3rd) and Walloon (4th) editions of the "Greatest Belgian" contest, held in 2005.
In 1996 the Belgian king gave him the lifelong title of baron. In 2000 he was chosen Belgian "Sports Figure of the Century".
Merckx is known as a quiet and modest person. Many of his former helpers have worked in his bicycle factory and join him during recreational bike tours.
Merckx has condemned doping (he tested positive twice in his career). At the same time he has been quick to point out that cycling is unfairly treated when 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 "believed what Lance told him than what appeared in newspapers". After Armstrong won his third Tour de France, Merckx predicted he would go on to win as many as seven .
Trivia and cultural references
★ Merckx was nicknamed "the cannibal" because he wanted to win every race he participated in, never "arranging" a race with another competitor. Other nicknames were "the Einstein of the two-wheelers", and, courtesy of Jacques Goddet, "''Le Géant''" (The Giant).
★ Eddy Merckx has a namesake who is a multiple Belgian Champion and world champion 2006 in three cushion billiards.
★ While climbing Mont Ventoux in 1970 to a stage win, he pushed himself so hard that oxygen had to be administered.
★ In the mid-seventies Merckx figured in some television commercials for cigarettes; an act for which he was criticized and which he now regrets.[4]
★ When the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Belgium in 2005, she met Merckx as a cultural representative of Belgium. [5]
★ A station on the Brussels metro is named in his honour. In this station his world record bike can be seen.
★ A cycling contest, The Eddy Merckx Grand Prix, is named in his honour.
★ In the French comedy ''Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob'' (The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob) (1973) with Louis de Funès, de Funès' character hears a conversation between a kidnapper and his victim, a revolutionary. When the revolutionary says: "The revolution is like a bike: When it doesn't move forward, it falls.", de Funès attributes the line to Eddy Merckx. One of the kidnappers corrects him and says Che Guevara once said this.
★ In the comic strip Asterix Merckx makes a cameo as a "fast runner" in the album Asterix in Belgium.
★ In 2000, the Belgian magazine Knack declared him to be "Belgian of the Century" and another four years later, the magazine Humo called him "the Greatest Belgian".
★ Paul Van Himst, another Belgian sport legend, is one of his closest friends.
★ Merckx cameoed as himself in several movies, of which the 1985 film ''American Flyers'', starring Kevin Costner, is the best known.[6]
Significant victories by race
Grand Tours (11)
| 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour de France general classification | - | - | '1' | '1' | '1' | '1' | - | '1' | 2 | - | 6 |
| Tour de France mountains classification | - | - | '1' | '1' | 3 | 2 | - | 2 | 2 | - | ? |
| Tour de France points classification | - | - | '1' | 2 | '1' | '1' | - | 2 | 2 | - | 5 |
| Tour de France stages won | - | - | 6 | 8 | 4 | 6 | - | 8 | 2 | - | 0 |
| Giro d'Italia general classification | 9 | '1' | DSQ | '1' | - | '1' | '1' | '1' | - | 8 | - |
| Giro d'Italia mountains classification | 3 | '1' | DSQ | 4 | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 7 | - |
| Giro d'Italia points classification | 2 | '1' | DSQ | 3 | - | 2 | '1' | 4 | - | 2 | - |
| Giro d'Italia stages won | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | 4 | 6 | 2 | - | 0 | - |
| Vuelta a España general classification | - | - | - | - | - | - | '1' | - | - | - | - |
| Vuelta a España mountains classification | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| Vuelta a España points classification | - | - | - | - | - | - | '1' | - | - | - | - |
| Vuelta a España stages won | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - |
★ 5× Tours de France, 34 stage wins
★ 5× Giro d'Italia, 24 stage wins
★ 1× Vuelta a España, 6 stage wins
Other stage races
★ 1× Tour de Suisse
★ 2× Tour of Belgium
★ 3× Paris-Nice
★ 1× Tour de Romandie
★ 1× Dauphiné Libéré
★ 1× Midi Libre
★ 4× Tour of Sardinia
Classic cycle races (28)
★ 7× Milan-Sanremo
★ 2× Ronde van Vlaanderen
★ 3× Paris-Roubaix
★ 5× Liège-Bastogne-Liège
★ 2× Giro di Lombardia
★ 2× Amstel Gold Race
★ 3× La Flèche Wallonne
★ 1× Paris-Brussels
★ 3× Ghent-Wevelgem
World titles
★ 3× World Championships
★ 1× Amateur World Championships
Track races
★ 17 six-day races
★ 3× European Championships
★ 7× Belgian Madison Championships (with Patrick Sercu)
Significant victories by year
;1964
:World Amateur Road Race Champion
;1965
: Six Days of Gent (with Patrick Sercu)
;1966 (Team Peugeot-BP)
:Milan-Sanremo
:Trofeo Angelo Baracchi, with Ferdi Bracke
:Championship of Flanders
:Tour de Morbihan
;1967 (Team Peugeot-BP)
: World Pro Road Race
:Milan-Sanremo
:La Flèche Wallonne
:Gent-Wevelgem
:Trofeo Angelo Baracchi, with Ferdi Bracke
:2 stages, Giro d'Italia
:Critérium des As
:Six Days of Gent (with Patrick Sercu)
;1968 (Team Faema)
:
::Mountains Classification
::Points Classification
::4 stages
:Volta a Catalunya
:Tour de Romandie
:Paris-Roubaix
:Tre Valli Varesine
:Tour of Sardinia
:G.P. Lugano
:A travers Lausanne
;1969 (Team Faema)
:Tour de France
::
::
::
::6 stages
:Paris-Luxembourg
:Milan-Sanremo
:Ronde van Vlaanderen
:Liège-Bastogne-Liège
:Paris-Nice, including
::4 stages
:Super Prestige Pernod International
;1970 (Team Faema-Faemino)
:Tour de France
::
::
::8 stages
:
::3 stages
:Paris-Nice
:Tour of Belgium
:Paris-Roubaix
:La Flèche Wallonne
:Gent-Wevelgem
:Critérium des As
: National Cycling Championship Road Race
:Super Prestige Pernod International
;1971 (Team Molteni)
:Tour de France
::
::
::4 stages
: World Pro Road Race
:Milan-Sanremo
:Liège-Bastogne-Liège
:Giro di Lombardia
:Rund um den Henninger Turm
:Omloop "Het Volk"
:Paris-Nice
:Dauphiné Libéré
:GP du Midi Libre
:Tour of Belgium
:Super Prestige Pernod International
;1972 (Team Molteni)
:Tour de France
::
::
::6 stages
:
::4 stages
:Milan-Sanremo
:Liège-Bastogne-Liège
:Giro di Lombardia
:La Flèche Wallonne
:Giro dell'Emilia
:Giro del Piemonte
:Grote Scheldeprijs
:Trofeo Angelo Baracchi, with Roger Swerts
:Hour Record - 49.431 km
:Super Prestige Pernod International
;1973 (Team Molteni)
:
::Points Classification
::6 stages
:
::Points Classification
::Sprints Classification
::Combined Classification
::6 stages
:Paris-Roubaix
:Liège-Bastogne-Liège
:Grand Prix des Nations
:Amstel Gold Race
:Gent-Wevelgem
:Omloop "Het Volk"
:Paris-Brussels
:GP Fourmies
:Super Prestige Pernod Trophy
;1974 (Team Molteni)
:Tour de France
::
::8 stages
:
::2 stages
: World Pro Road Race
:Tour de Suisse, including
::Points Classification
::KoM
::3 stages
:Critérium des As
:Super Prestige Pernod Trophy
;1975 (Team Molteni)
:Milan-Sanremo
:Ronde van Vlaanderen
:Liège-Bastogne-Liège
:Amstel Gold Race
:Catalan Week
:2 stages, Tour de France
:1 stage, Tour de Suisse
:Super Prestige Pernod Trophy
: Six Days of Gent (with Patrick Sercu)
;1976 (Team Molteni)
:Milan-Sanremo
:Catalan Week
;1977 (Team Fiat)
: 1 stage, Tour de Suisse
: Tour Méditerranéen
: Six Days of Munich (with Patrick Sercu)
: Six Days of Zürich (with Patrick Sercu)
: Six Days of Gent (with Patrick Sercu)
See also
★ Cycling records
Notes
1.
2.
3. Eddy Merckx:the greatest cyclist of the 20th century, , Rik, van Walleghem, Pinguin Productions, , ISBN 1884737722
4. "Duo interview Tom Boonen - Eddy Merckx", ''Gazet van Antwerpen'', 3 February 2007
5. Rice's Packed Schedule Leaves Little Room for Cultural Visits Glenn Kessler
6. Internet Movie Database profile Eddy Merckx
References
★ Eddy Merckx: The Greatest Cyclist of the 20th Century, Vanwalleghem, Rik, , , Boulder, 1996,
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