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Eddy turns 70


T-Bob

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Today marks the 70th birthday of the world's best ever cyclist, Eddy Merckx.

 

"Known as the "The Cannibal" for his insatiable hunger for victories, Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx was born in Meensel-Kiezegem, Brabant on June 17, 1945.

 

A successful amateur cyclist with 80 wins to his name, including the rainbow jersey in 1964, Merckx turned professional in April 1965 with the Solo-Superia team and quickly set about winning all in front of him."

 

Post your fav pic or quote of this legend. 

 

 

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http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2015/06/16/2/gettyimages_52675434_670.jpg

 

"screw you guys, I'm making this a competition. You ride to Paris on the drops and I promise not to touch the handlebars until we hit the Champ Elysees. Sound fair?" 

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ahhh Eddy.

 

The first big case of a cyclist testing positive to PEDs came during the 1969 Giro d’Italia. Belgium’s Eddy Merckx, who was leading the tour through 16 stages, tested positive for a stimulant called reactivan. He denied the charges, obviously, and there was a huge controversy over the way the samples were handled. However, unlike Ryan Braun, Merckx didn’t get off on a technicality, and he was disqualified from the Giro.

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ahhh Eddy.

 

The .... tested positive for a stimulant called reactivan.... and he was disqualified from the Giro.

 

A true tour & giro winner then. ;)

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  • 5 tours (1969 won all the jerseys - yellow. polka & green)

5 Giros (worst result in any Giro was on debut - 9th. 1968 won overall, polka & green)

3 Rainbow Jerseys

1st person to take the triple crown

19 Monuments (second closest was RDV with 11)

20 Wins in his 1st year

525 career win

Won 445 out of the 1585 races he entered

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  • 5 tours (1969 won all the jerseys - yellow. polka & green)
  • 5 Giros (worst result in any Giro was on debut - 9th. 1968 won overall, polka & green)
  • 3 Rainbow Jerseys
  • 1st person to take the triple crown
  • 19 Monuments (second closest was RDV with 11)
  • 20 Wins in his 1st year
  • 525 career win
  • Won 445 out of the 1585 races he entered

 

Legend :clap:  :clap:

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As an amateur in 1962 (aged 17) he entered 55 races and won 23 of them, including Belgium's national championship. In 1964 he won the Amateur World Championship Road Race, aged 19.

 

He turned professional at 20 and before his 21st birthday he won his first monument, the 1966 Milan-San Remo.

 

For a period of 7 years running (1969 - 1975) he won a staggering 35% of the races he entered. Didn't matter whether it was a one-day classic, a hilly puncheurs course, a mountain stage on a grand tour, or a time trial, he would basically win every third race he entered.

 

In the 1969 Tour de France (his first TDF victory) he achieved something unprecedented and still un-matched today: he won the Yellow Jersey (GC), the Green Jersey (points), and the Polka-Dot Jersey (KOM). Because he was the ripe old age of 25 he would have been just outside the white jersey (although it was only introduced in 1975).
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The Eddy Merckx metro station on the Brussels metro is named in his honour. His world record bike is at this station.

 

post-22004-0-76144900-1434528575_thumb.jpg

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In the comic book 'Asterix in Belgium' Merckx makes a cameo as a "fast runner".

 

I totally remember that! Wow. Classic. 

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I totally remember that! Wow. Classic. 

 

Yip, remember it very well too :). I had the entire collection of Asterix comic books as a kid.

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