How GOOD Was Eddy Merckx Really? 

Shook his hand a few years ago at Godeau cycles ( Godeau was his year long mechanic). Eddy Merckx is the calmest and humblest man you'll ever encounter. I still can't discern what impressed me most... Shaking the hand of a living legend or encountering the most gracious human being.

He came along and had such a huge impact on my life as a cyclist and after all these years I'm still loving the bike!n

Axel has a 161 km./100 mile ride in Penticton, BC, every summer. About 40 kms. In there is a steep, long twisty downhill. I was with a group of guys about his age or a bit younger. Eddy, then well into his 60s, passed us outside on a sharp downhill hairpin like we were standing still - amazing bike control!

I am a definite fan of Eddy Merckx, of course. I discovered him in 1969 (I was 11) in Paris-Roubaix where he finished second but since then I followed his career till the end in 1977 ( he just rode a few races in 1978 when he stopped ). I was impressed by his courage, his rage of winning, his "panache" and his chivalrous spirit. My greatest deception was in 1975 when he lost what should have been his 6th victory in the Tour de France, making of Merckx the absolute winner ever in this competion. He mist also a few other records, like a fourth win in the World Championship in 1973, a 4th win in Paris-Roubaix 1975 (he got a puncture 5 kms before the end and managed to catch up the group and was beated in the sprint by a great Roger De Vlaeminck) and at last he should have been the first cyclist to "break the wall" of 50 kms in an hour in Mexico. But, Merckx being Merckx, he started off too fast, willing to break the 10 and 20 kms record, using this as a loophole to reach the 50 kms. Anyway, you can't win everything of course and for many a professional cyclist it would be paramount to win even one Tour or one "monument" ! Bravissimo Eddy !

Wow! Thank you so much. What a forgotten legacy. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet and ride with Eddy when I worked in the bike industry. For a club rider, those were moments I will never forget. What a humble gentleman. I'm now 65, and every time I meet some young rider, I make sure by the end of the ride, they will know who the greatest cyclist of all time is. The cannibal.

He was also exceptionally good at track racing, many wins on the track. His versatility is unrivalled.

And the time trials too. When I was a teenager he seemed to be breaking time trial records every week. A remarkable athlete.

Not even debatable. The very very best. Almost incomprehensible really. 👏👏👏

2:59 the guy in the blue jersey, is Matthieu van Der Poel's grandfather. Raymond Poulidor

The greatest athlete the world has ever seen. The depth and breadth of his wins in unmatched in any sport. And his legacy as a gentleman of exceptional quality remains inspiring to everyone.

Easy for newbies to say that mercx wouldnt beat the talent nowadays, but at the same time, the riders now would not beat mercx if they were racing in the 60s and 70s with insane long stages packed with a load of cols, shocking road conditions, heavy bikes and arduous weather conditions

I remember Eddy Merckx in tears wheen he saw his son Axel take the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. Eddy never won a medal at the Olympics (albeit because professional cyclists were not allowed at the Olympics when he was around).

What made Merckx the greatest was his insatiable hunger "to win at all costs".. .to lose was intolerable. ! .

Great video. Thank you. I have read Half Man Half Bike a couple times now. It is amazing read. Its hard to comprehend how dominating his performances were. Absolute legend

Legendary stories of how sighing up for his team meant some serious Winter pre season training pain for the chosen few.

I recall a story about a journalist who wanted to interview Eddy, as he was training for the upcoming season. He arrived at Eddy's hotel at what he thought was a reasonable time in the morning, probably around 8AM but the hotel manager said you missed him already. He found out later in the day that Eddy had done around 300 km that day, training. So, the journalist came back the next morning and the desk informed him that indeed, he had missed Eddy again, he was already out training, another 300 km plus day... That's how you become a legend, never stop pushing yourself to best as best as you can be..

I have been told this many times by retired pros. Before the start of any race with Merckx in it, professionals looked at each other and said, "You know we are all just here racing for second place."

I would love to have an Eddy Merckx Century bicycle from the late 1980's with Campagnolo C Record/Delta brakes and Sigma sew ups wheels.

A great tribute to the GOAT.

To get an idea just how good Merckx was, when he set the World hour record in 1972, he also set the 10 and 20 km records simultaneously. His record stood for 12 years and was only beaten through the use of aerodynamic accoutrements. In 1997, the UCI banned all these aerodynamic aids and the best time under the new rules was 49.7 km, only 269 m more than Merckx.

Anyone cycling in his era, pro or amateur were in awe of this man. The media had run out of superlatives in an Endeavour to describe his race performances. Young boys, men and older men were astounded and delighted in watching him , reading about him in cycling weekly . He was and is an inspiration for life in all sorts of different ways, because of the deep respect for him as a human being. A great man and The Greatest Cyclist of all time. No one has come even close to evoking the passion and respect he generated. Simply the Best. Head and shoulders above all.🇧🇪👍🏻 Thank you Eddy Merckx.

Eddy came in 2nd in that Tour where he got punched in the ribs as the video states. You should know that bruised ribs make it painful to breathe. But also during that same race, he was rolling up to the start finish line before the start and failed to get his foot out of the toe-clip before full stopping and fell over and broke his jaw and had his jaw wired shut the rest of the race and was forced to take nutrition in a liquid no chewing form. So not only was he gifted, dedicated and smart he also was very determined!

Summed it up real nice at the end. Also, his hour record has only been beaten once, and by just ten feet.

If you thought you could follow him uphill, reconsider following him downhill. He had incredible bike control. There's one moment in the 1975 Tour de France (which he lost) , where he goes downhill on the attack in the high mountains and the motors and cars are too afraid to follow him.

The greatest...and a really decent humble bloke...

Thanks for a very good summary. I remember following him and the Tour de France on French TV in the early 1970s.

The beautiful bikes in this video!

Thanks for the great history lesson Scott, well done!

Eddy combined all the characteristics needed to be the best, not just good in a couple of things! In those days the athletes did not earn enough money to retire, Eddy founded his factory, and offered a job at his former team mates, not just a fantastic athlete in my opinion! Revealing was the interview with Joop Zoetemelk when the journalist asked why he didn’t overtake Eddy in the sprint after ‘sucking the wheel’, and Joop replied that it was a super performance just riding right behind EM!

Unless I missed it, you forgot to mention the hour record. It has been broken, but it is hard to make an apples and apples comparison of former and present records.

wow, young adolescent memories, great vid reflections of 69 thru 74, i "read about this in "bicycling" , it never on tv back then

The greatest cyclist, no question. Probably the greatest athlete. His career would have gone on longer if it weren't for injury and burning himself out.

Thx for the retro video with some great content I've never seen. 👏👏👏

Such an amazing athlete.. you did not mention the percentage of wins to races but roughly 1/3 if my memory is right… unbelievable omg

Good Video. Always nice to see footage of the Greatest.

I ride a team sc. The bike has been amazing for 23 years. Today i did 4k of climb, 80 miles @ 16mph and im 65. Btw, always campy super record...

Great video! Thank you! Maybe expanding on the WC he won would be worth another one.

As you can tell “the cannibal” was from another planet,,great video 😊

Just returned book about those crazy times in cycling and him great piece of history was there. 4:10 .. 10 years !!! for this !!!

Fantastic Vid. The 🐐. True Legend.

En todas sus entrevistas, de ahora y de antes, me parece una persona extraordinariamente humana. Tuvo que trabajar duro para tener su primera bicicleta, porque aunque sus padres poseían una pequeña tienda de ultramarinos y podían comprársela prefirieron que supiera lo que era pelear por los sueños. El Ogro solo lo era encima de la bicicleta. Todo el mundo adora, ahora, a Eddy por todo lo que ganó. Yo le adoro por como supo asimilar tanta gloria como el chico de barrio humilde que nunca dejó de ser.

Eddy Merckx was the ONLY European rider from the Continent to attend Tommy Simpson's funeral!

Eddy forever ❤❤

He held that record in track cycling Mexico at altitude until chris boardman with high tech bike helmet etc.. incredible

the Legacy trickles down like a River, the Talent that Axel has brought along

I remember diving into his list of wins and notable finishes some 25 years ago when I began to take in the history of European cycling...this was in step with Armstrong’s wins at the Tour....I was already a serious young roadie at the time with maybe 5 years under my belt, and a beautiful NOS CANNONDALE 3.0 built up with Campagnolo Mirage components under my sore butt.... We cannot judge cyclings past....and that is up to and including Armstrong.....the benefits to cycling as a Worldwide sport, and a industry are immeasurable....and Competitors are born first, then shaped ....then unleashed

... and he accomplished most of this with a bad back. He was a cycling GOD! He would dominate today!

To make it short: In my humble opinion, there are four categories in pro cycling which really count. Time Trial, Climbing, Sprint, Rouleur. Dont confuse Time Tiral with Rouleur, thats not the same. A Rouleur is a guy who can ride very fast over 100 or 200 kilometers and more without needing someone around him. Great Rouleur's are George Hincapie and Jens Voigt in their prime. Jan Ullrich was a better time trialist then Voigt, but Voigt was the better rouleur. Merckx was imo the only rider in cycling history, who had in these four categories either a 9 or 10, there is no 8 or weaker. Not Coppi, not Indurain, not Hinault, not Anquetil, not Armstrong, and not any of todays riders has this total package. And since he had either a 9 or 10 in those four major categories, he won so many races and is simply the GOAT.

"His bodies ability to process (helpful medicines) was unmatched during his time." Some random fan on Puy - 1975

I WANT THOSE CYCLING POSTERS OF THE CLASSICS😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳 Dear sweet Lord....cycling and Art Deco....it’s as good as WOMEN AND ART DECO

LEGENDARY.

He's the Goat goat. Compare him to anyone in any sport and I've yet to see his peer.

His palmares. Just watching the numbers. It's still a bit of a shock every single time. And I've checked the books every year since the early 90's.

With relaxed testing and the “Code of Silence” will entrusted in all who joined the Pro ranks. It was safe to say, many raced with assistance. Just look at the insane racing calendar they raced, also stage distances were brutal.

I used to stare in wonder at his hour record bike displayed in a Seattle shop. I doubt we ever see the cycling likes of him again

Easily the best ever. And that in a time with such strong riders he still was extremely dominant. Nothing I have ever seen (well...I never saw him actually) comes close, although Bernard Hinault comes to mind. To me Hinault is the second best rider ever. After that probably Anquetil. Might have missed someone.

Good summary! I think the time frame makes me lend that the World wars had an effect. Since people wouldn't be wanting to give birth during the war efforts which would line up almost perfectly for Eddy to not have a huge populous of cyclists birthed in those years making him easier to stand out. Another thing you forgot to mention was the hour record that he did. Which was right in the middle of his racing season whereas later on it would develop into people training specifically for that event.

the legend. no fancy tech. old school gear. no fancy spandex clothing. no helmets. and some smokers to boot.

EDDY WAS THE GOAT. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT RECORD SPEAKS FOR IT,S SELF. GREAT COMMENTARY....

He was best. An absolute animal!

I never knew Axel looked this much like his dad! Wow!

He was the best of his era.

The Goat . !

If mercx had not broke his back after his first tour win, who knows how much better he would have been. He said he was only 70% of his previous self.

He is one of the best ever. No doubt

3:00 great photo

He could do it all,never be another like him

The only 'best ever' lists that have any meaning are those of riders of a given era. Merckx is undoubtedly the greatest of his era and his legacy is that there remains a dream to emulate his achievements in the modern era. He will always be a giant in the folklore of bicycle racing

He won’t good he was brilliant 😊👍.

I am built exactly like Eddy Merckx...same height, leg/arm length etc. Most would agree for a cyclist, Eddie had pretty skinny legs and wide hips. What made Eddy special is what you can't see, his plumbing. Same with Secretariat.

give this man todays bikes and see

If you add the careers of Fausto Coppi, Sean Kelly, and Peter Sagan I think it's roughly equivalent to Eddy Merckx

he is the greate'st ever

Eddy Merckx le roi des rois sans égale pour l éternité et des siecles. Merci monsieur Eddy Merckx de m avoir fait rêver que dieu vous protège vous et votre famille.

Several years ago Merkx participated in a charity event in Marin County, north of San Francisco. By sheer good fortune I was standing in the area where his van stopped. Eddy got out of the passenger side, the side I was on. If he wasn’t busy I’d have tried to shake hands with him. But he WAS busy, prepping one of his factory’s gorgeous bikes, with the ride officially starting in only a few moments. What impressed me most about “The Cannibal” was how compact he was, considering he humiliated every rider of his era. I’m 5’10” and 165 lb and was very close to Eddy’s size. What that said to me was the toughest athletes are possessed by an obsessively competitive nature, and in addition the inner strength that enables the rider’s physiology to withstand the unbelievable amount of punishment it is forced to endure, year after year. While there is only one Eddy Merkx, it pleased me to learn that world beaters coming all sizes, including medium. To the 17-year-old considered too small for the football team but with a fighting spirit, I would recommend getting into bicycle racing, where the average-sized competitor has the advantage over stronger riders who weighty musculature slows them on the climbs.

also Grand Prix de Nations and hour record

I think he would be still winning nowadays .

Won 526 races. At one point, averaging one race win per week.

Look up the hour record in cycling!

Cavendish better lookout for a solid punch to the ribs, if, and only if, he appears to break Merckx' TDF Stage-Winning Record. Watch this space!

After all, one might ask: how God was Eddy Merckx really. I remember those years and cycling was Merckx!

He ate people. By far one of the greatest cannibals.

Talent pool 🏊‍♀️ much deeper today. With that said we will never know. It’s just argument after a while with no definitive answer.

I have my doubts about Pogs legality in these modern times sponsored by a team with unlimited funding . Back in Merckx day i dont think there were these supplements were there ?? Please enlighten me. i luv my cycling as a fan and a participant.

no carbon, no disk brakes, no helmets, 19mm rims on tubulars. Just the balls to ride hard.

The race event calender they maintained back then alone would destroy modern riders. Please.

ZERO helmet era, RAW😳

just looked up fast eddies palmares ...... he won everything ...eddie can rest easy no way that can be beaten ever !!!!

3 positive tests and a dismissive attitude to doping (extraordinary considering the circumstances of Tom Simpson's death as a then team mate and contemporary) probably helped enable him to even have a career to be reflected on.

When your bike fits you don't need a helment

No mention to the 3 times he was caught doping?

Eddy Merckx est le plus grand toutes générations confondues aujourd'hui il gagnerait toujours comme il a toujours gagné puisque en 2023 toujours le plus grands. Ils en touchent pas une en 2024 ce sera comme d habitude ont s emmerdes 200 km d échappée et remonté à 50 km .Eddy avait du panache le roi des rois et était de toutes les courses . Aujourd'hui il gagne une course un moi de congé après ils en touchent pas une van der pool est dvenu champion du monde il a pris un moi de congé après il en a plus touché une sur la course suivante toujours derrière a la ramasse a l arrière. Le roi Eddy dit ces pas parce que l'ont gagnent des courses qu' il faut dormir sur ces lauriers. Eddy Merckx le roi des rois et sans équivalent pour l éternité.

Mercx had to win to get paid, it was in his contract. I believe that he was best at the preparation, and supremely intelligent and that was the difference

World Hour Record?

He did not win the Giro 1971 because of injuries. 1971 Gösta Pettersson from Sweden won the Giro d’ Italia. Gösta even beat Eddy in a sprint stage 1972 in the Giro.

He was deffo ok

Watch the movie GOAT 💯

Fun Q. Why did Merkcx won La Vuelta only 1 time?

Might be worth asking mark cavendish!.

Wonderful recap Of Eddy's accomplishments... horrible music though.