Eddy Merckx

Eddy Merckx (* 17. June 1945 in Meensel Kiezegem, Belgium; civil Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx) is a former Belgian professional - wheel running drivers. It won ever five times the two most important round travels, the route de France and the giro d'Italia.

Merckx actual based both on the quantity and the quality of its victories - the most successful male wheel running driver of cycle racing history and is considered therefore as to one of the few sportsmen, to who the descriptor can be awarded „best ones of all times “. In particular its ability was singular, in all rangesto furnish the cycle racing outstanding achievements: It won a daily classical authors, large round travels and Sechstagerennen, it dominated with mountain groping, time driving and Sprints.

One counts all running - in Holland and Belgium much „Kirmesrennen thus also liked “and other smaller meetings - in such a way has Merckxbetween 1965 and 1978 altogether over 530 Radrennen won. Proven are source mentioned of down under „the following numbers cyclisme Web on the left of “„note Irish you “:

• Victories on the road: 525 - under it professional victories of 445
• victories on the course: 98
• victories when transverse field in running: 2.

More successfully than itonly the Französin is not Jean ever Longo with so far 944 victories.

From 1969 to 1975 it won seven times the valuation super prestige Pernod, those at the time at that time the later wheel Worldcup - and/or. UCI pro route - valuation corresponded.

driver profile and sporty development

after it - straight 19-jährig - to 5. September 1964 youngest amateur - world champion of all times had become, wonMerckx already at the age of 20 years 1966 for the first time the famous professional a daily running Milan San Remo. In the next two years its later dominance began itself to draw in the international cycle racing: It won the road wheel world championship (1967) of the professionals and its for the first time beside numerous classical authorsfirst large national round travel, the giro D' Italia 1968.

1969 it participated for the first time in the route de France and dominated a running equal in outstanding manners: Apart from the total victory got it sieve stage-wins, in addition it won the mountain valuation (the mountain leotard at the same time as only drivers of historyhowever only 1975 imported) and the Greens the leotard of the best Sprinters. Thus the Belgian had already won nearly all important Radrennen as 24-Jähriger. At the same time this was however only the beginning „of the era Merckx “, as the years 1968-1975 should be designated later. He spent theseTime mainly at the professional teams Faema (1968-1970) and Molteni (1971-1975).

Up to its career end 1977 Merckx, which received the pointed name due to its unstillbaren attack spirit „Kannibale “, won more running than every other driver and set up countless best performances. So it knew the route de France assecond from at present five drivers five the yellow leotard altogether 96 days (record) decide, carried times for itself and got 34 stage-wins (record). The French sport newspaper L'Équipe selected Merckx 2003 on the occasion of the 100-Jahr-Feier of the route de France to the largest route champion. Since 2005 however that holdssevenfold route winners Lance Armstrong the record regarding the number of the total victories.

But contrary to other route winners it triumphed also in practically every other running: Thus it won the giro D' Italia likewise five times (record, together with Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi).Since it won 1973 also the Vuelta A España, it belongs to that altogether only four drivers, to who it succeeded to win all three Grand route. Also it won the route de Suisse once.

Besides stand forMerckx of three road world champion titles (record, together with Alfredo Binda, Rik van Steenbergen and Óscar Freire) to beech. Unusual also its success list is with the largest a daily running, the five Monumenten so mentioned of the cycle racing. „Monument “it could win everyone at least twice (record, only Rikvan Looy and Roger de Vlaeminck succeeded at least in each case one victory):

• to 7 × Milan San Remo (record)
• 2 × Flanders round travel
• 3 × Paris Roubaix
• 5 × Lüttich Bastogne Lüttich (record)
• 2 × Lombardei Rundfahrt

in addition he shone with in the winter in resounds to delivered Sechstagerennen, where he altogether17 times won. it got itself 1972 in Mexico town center also the hour world record: With a normal course wheel it drove 49.431 km into 60 minutes far. This world record became under same conditions - use of a normal Bahnrades with the traditional handle steering wheel, some substantially more unfavorableAerodynamics forces - only 30 years later over-bid.

teams

• 1965: SOLO SUPÉRIA
• 1966-1967: PEUGEOT BP
• 1968-1970: FAEMA and/or. FAEMINO
• 1971-1976: MOLTENI
• 1977: FIAT
• 1978: C & A

honours

Merckx were three times a world sportsman of the yearly (1969, 1971, 1974) and became in Belgiumto the sportsman of the century selected. Finally shorten it the world cycle racing federation UCI to the best wheel running driver 20. Century.

In the year 1996 Merckx of the titles baron was awarded. In Brussels 2003 became an underground - station opens, which is designated after Eddy Merckx.

In December 2005 reachedthe former wheel professional on the Belgian television with a choice to the largest Belgian of all times the third place and was thereby the still living candidate classified at the highest one.

after the career: Today Merckx under

its name a racing cycle mark operates Privatmann and entrepreneur. In additionit is active with many Radrennen as supervisor and commentator.

Its son Axel Merckx successfully drives for Swiss crew “Phonak Hearing of system” and won with the olympic plays 2004 in Athens bronze medal. It and his Mrs. Jodi, as well as Eddy Merckx' daughter Sabrina madeit to the quadruple grandfather

Doping

Eddy Merckx 1969 under until today were excluded unsettled circumstances because of Dopings from the giro d'Italia. It stressed its innocence and accused to the supervisors conscious manipulation. It became originally de into the beginning of the routeFrance inside closed, the barrier was waived however later - the made possible him its first route victory. 1973 and 1977 he was tested positively when a daily running.

list of the most important victories of the Eddy Merckx

• 1964: Amateur world champion road
• 1966:Baracchi Trophäe (pair-time-drive, with Ferdinand Bracke); EscaladaMontjuich; Milan San Remo
• 1967: World champion road; Baracchi Trophäe (with F. Bracke); Milan San Remo; Gent Wevelgem; Flèche Wallonne
• 1968: Giro d'Italia (3 stage-wins); Paris Roubaix
• 1969: Route de France (6 stage-wins); Paris Nice; Milan San Remo; Flanders round travel; Lüttich Bastogne Lüttich
• 1970:Route de France (8 stage-wins); Giro d'Italia (3 stage-wins); Paris Nice; Escalada Montjuich;Gent Wevelgem; Paris Roubaix; Flèche Wallonne
• 1971: Route de France (4 stage-wins); Paris Nice; World champion road; Escalada Montjuich; Milan San Remo; Lüttich Bastogne Lüttich; Lombardei Rundfahrt
• 1972: Route de France (5 stage-wins); Giro d'Italia (4 stage-wins); Baracchi Trophäe (with Roger Swerts); Escalada Montjuich; Milan San Remo; Flèche Wallonne; Lüttich Bastogne Lüttich; Lombardei Rundfahrt
• 1973:Giro d'Italia (6Stage-wins); Vuelta A España (7 stage-wins); Gent Wevelgem; Paris Roubaix; Amstel gold Race; Lüttich Bastogne Lüttich; Lombardei Rundfahrt
• 1974: Route de France (8 stage-wins); Giro d'Italia (2 stage-wins); Route de Suisse; World champion road; Escalada Montjuich
• 1975: Escalada Montjuich; Milan San Remo; Flanders round travel; Amstel gold Race; Lüttich Bastogne Lüttich
• 1976: Milan San Remo

Web on the left of

• Palmarès - list of successes and placements with „note Irish you cyclisme “
• bicycle company of Eddy Merckx