Merckx

Eddy

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rckx.

Le Tour de France Record

Tour Rides:7

Yellow Jersey wins :5(a record)

Green Jersey Wins :3

K i n g o f t h e M o u n t a i n s w i n s :2

Stage wins:35(a record)

Eddy also wore the Yellow Jersey a record 96 times.

Eddy Merckx is the greatest racing cyclist that ever lived.He has won more Classic's than anyone else,worn the Tour de France's yellow jersey for more days than anyone,he's won more stages than anyone ,the list is endless.Eddy turned pro when he was 19 years of age and by the time he was 24 he was on the verge of winning his first Tour de France.

Eddy Merckx known affectionately as "The Cannibal"rode his first Tour de France in 1969 and I do not think anybody was expecting the impact he would have on the race.He took his first stage win on the sixth stage to Ballon d'Alsace,then he was to win the time-trial at Divonne aswell as four other stages including mountain stages in the Alps and Pyrenees.Eddy was to humiliate the rest of the Peleton eventually arriving in Paris with over a seventeen minute lead on his nearest rival 1967 winner Roger Pingeon.It was an amazing achievement made better by the fact that he was to come out the wiinner of the Green jersney and King of the Mountains aswell,an historical treble which to this day has never been repeated.

In the 1970 Tour Merckx was to reinforce the vice-like grip on the Yellow Jersey which he had on it the year before.He took it in the Prologue and,apart from a few brief days when his team mate Italo Zilioli wore it,he was to take it all the way to Paris.His control of the race was once again apparent with him winning eight stages in all the disciplines,time-trial,mountains and on the flat, practically the only thing he did not win was the points jersey which went to fellow Belgian Walter Godefroot.

The 1971 Tour was to have mixed fortunes for "the Cannibal".He had won the opening prologue as usual but on the eleventh stage to Orcieres-Merlette Luis Ocana had broken away and amassed an eight minute and 42 second lead over Merckx by the end of the stage.The next day Eddy attacked but couldn't claw back the time ,as it happens he did not have to a couple of days later Ocana was involved in a tragic crash that was to end his Tour de France hopes at least for this year he would come back to win in 1973,undaunted Eddy refused to wear the leaders jersey at the start of the next stage at Luchon but the leader he was and what was to be his least impressive victory ended with him recieving both the Yellow and Green jersey's in Paris a feat which most Tour riders could only dream of.

Merckx once again wins the opening Prologue only to lose his lead on the first stage to Cyrille Guimard.However it was to be short lived,five stage victories and a commanding performance in the Pyrenees which saw Eddy leave Guimard two minutes behind was to give him the advantage and all he had to do was to control his rivals over the Alps to ride into Paris for his fourth consecutive Tour win.For the second year running he wins points jersry also.

Despite taking one year away from the Tour Eddy's back in 1974 eager to equal Anquetils record of five Tour de France wins.This year the competition was to come from a suprising direction,it was thirty-eight year old Raymond Poulidor riding in one of his last Tours.Merckx ofcourse won the prologue but on one of the toughest days on the long ride on the Chat Pass in the Alps Poulidor attacked and left Merckx lagging behind,then he did exactly the same thing in the Pyrenees.Poulidor had great strenght but with eight stage wins overall Eddy was stronger and triumphantly rode into Paris on the 22nd of July to take his fifth and last Tour title.

The 1975 Tour was to be one to many for Merckx after taking the lead on the sixth stage he rode with strengh and great determination but it wasn't enough,on stage fifteen to Pra-Loup Merckx finally cracked.The amazing rider that had won every Tour de France that he had entered was to find out what it is like to be one step down on the podium and with it lose his chance of winning a record sixth Tour.Bernard Thevenet was the man to take advantage finishing more than three minutes up on Eddy .Merckx finished a good second having worn the Yellow jersey and winning two stages.

After opting to miss the 1976 Tour Eddy was back in '77 although a determined performance would eventually earn him sixth place overall it was a sixth Tour he was looking for .This was to be his last Tour de France in a career which saw him take cycling to the very peaks of brilliance and a mantle straining with the weight of his trophies.

For info on contacting Eddy click here.

Old Cyclist Never Die,They Just Keep On Fighting.

Berna rd Hi nault