A very good friend sent me an email this morning, reminding me it was Eddy Merckx’s 80th birthday today. If you are at all interested in racing, Eddy should be at the top of any list of all time great riders.
“Fast Eddy” as we used to call him locally, or as he was known the world over, as “The Cannibal”, due to his ability to win almost everything, was a professional road and track cyclist, who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His 525 professional victories include an unequalled eleven Grand Tours (five Tours de France, five Giros d'Italia and a Vuelta a España), all five Monuments (The most famous of the one day “classics”), setting the hour record, three World Championships, every other major one-day race other than Paris–Tours and extensive victories on the track.
The Sault Cycling Club’s founder, Marcel Van Daele, knew him personally (along with several other stars) and was the one who introduced all of the Club’s budding young racers to Eddy’s amazing prowess. (There was no internet in those days and although cycling is the second largest sport in the world, it would take over a month for the next cycling magazine to reach our shores from Europe, before we could read all about his latest exploits)
A very good friend sent me an email this morning, reminding me it was Eddy Merckx’s 80th birthday today. If you are at all interested in racing, Eddy should be at the top of any list of all time great riders.
“Fast Eddy” as we used to call him locally, or as he was known the world over, as “The Cannibal”, due to his ability to win almost everything, was a professional road and track cyclist, who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His 525 professional victories include an unequalled eleven Grand Tours (five Tours de France, five Giros d'Italia and a Vuelta a España), all five Monuments (The most famous of the one day “classics”), setting the hour record, three World Championships, every other major one-day race other than Paris–Tours and extensive victories on the track.
The Sault Cycling Club’s founder, Marcel Van Daele, knew him personally (along with several other stars) and was the one who introduced all of the Club’s budding young racers to Eddy’s amazing prowess. (There was no internet in those days and although cycling is the second largest sport in the world, it would take over a month for the next cycling magazine to reach our shores from Europe, before we could read all about his latest exploits)
Happy Birthday Eddy !