Eddy Merckx - WikiHQ

Wambst died of a fractured skull as he was being transported to a hospital. Merckx remained unconscious for 45 minutes and awoke in the operating room. He sustained a concussion, whiplash, trapped nerves in his back, a displaced pelvis, and several other cuts and bruises. He remained at the hospital for a week before returning to Belgium. He spent six weeks in bed before beginning to race again in October. Merckx later stated that he "was never the same again" after the crash. He would constantly adjust the height of his seat during races to help ease the pain.

1970: A Giro–Tour double

thumb|188px|Merckx with [[Faemino–Faema in 1970]]

Merckx entered the 1970 campaign nursing a case of mild tendonitis in his knee. His first major victory came in Paris–Nice where he won the general classification, along with three stages. Merckx won the Tour's opening prologue to take the race's first race leader's yellow jersey. It was also his third world title, becoming the third rider to ever be world champion three times, after Binda and Rik Van Steenbergen.

1975: Second place at the Tour

With victories at Milan–San Remo and Amstel Gold Race, Merckx opened the 1975 season in good form, also winning the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme. In the Catalan Week, Merckx lost his super domestique Bruyère, who had helped Merckx to victory in years past many times, to a broken leg. Two days following the Catalan Week, Merckx participated in the Tour of Flanders. He launched an attack with eighty kilometers to go, with only Frans Verbeeck being able to match his acceleration. Verbeeck was dropped as the race reached five kilometers remaining, allowing Merckx to take his third Tour of Flanders victory. In Paris–Roubaix, Merckx suffered a flat tire with around eighty kilometers left when a part of a leading group of four. After chasing for three kilometers, he caught the three other riders and the group rode into the finish together; De Vlaeminck won the day. Merckx won his fifth Liège–Bastogne–Liège by attacking several times in the closing portions of the race.

Merckx's attitude while racing had changed: riders expected him to chase down attacks, which angered him. Notably, in the Tour de Romandie he was riding with race leader Zoetemelk as an attack occurred. Merckx refused to chase the break down, and the two lost 14 minutes. Merckx contracted a cold and, later, tonsilitis while racing in the spring campaign. This caused him to be in poor form, forcing him to not participate in the Giro d'Italia. He then rode in the Dauphiné Libéré and was not on par with Thevenet, who won the race. At the Tour de Suisse, De Vlaeminck won the race as a whole, while Merckx finished second.

thumb|Merckx crossing the finish line to win the [[1975 Amstel Gold Race|alt=A cyclist holding his hands aloft.]]

He placed second in the Tour de France's prologue. The following morning's split stage saw Merckx put time on Thevenet by attacking with Francesco Moser, Van Impe, and Zoetemelk. In day's second leg, Merckx gained time on Zoetemelk. He won the stage six individual time trial and gaining more time on Thevenet and Zoetemelk. He won the next time trial into Auch as well. During the race's eleventh stage, Merckx sent his team to set the pace early on in the stage. Reaching the final climb of the day, Merckx was on his own as his team had been used to set the pace throughout the day. On the day's final climb to Pla d'Adet, he matched an acceleration by Zoetemelk. Thevenet then launched an attack, to which Merckx could not follow and saw him lose over two minutes. After the stage Merckx switched decided to mark Thevenet for the rest of the race and make an attack on the Puy-de-Dôme.

While climbing the Puy-de-Dôme, Thevenet and Van Impe attacked. Merckx followed at his own pace and kept the two riders within a hundred meters. With about 150 m remaining, Merckx was prepared to sprint to the line, but was punched in the back by a spectator, Nello Breton. He crossed the line thirty-four seconds behind Thevenet and proceeded to vomit after catching his breath. The punch left him with a large bruise. During the rest day he was found to have an inflamed liver for which he was prescribed blood thinners.

The stage following the rest day featured five climbs, Merckx felt a pain on the third climb in the area of the punch and had a teammate get him an analgesic. Thevenet attacked several times on the climb of the Col des Champs, all of which Merckx countered. Merckx retaliated by speeding away on the descent. On the start of the next climb, Merckx had his Molteni teammates set the pace and he distanced himself from his competitors before the start of the final climb. However, as Merckx began the final climb he cracked. Thevenet caught and passed him with four kilometers left. Gimondi, Van Impe, and Zoetemelk passed Merckx, who finished fifth and one minute and twenty-six seconds down. The following day, Merckx caught up with the leading breakaway and wanted to push ahead, but the riders chose not to participate in the pace making, leading Merckx to sit up and get caught. He lost two more minutes to Thevenet, who attacked on the Col d'Izoard. He crashed in the next leg, breaking a cheekbone, and gained some time on Thevenet before the finish in Paris. He finished in second place, the first time he had lost a Tour in his six starts.

1976: A record seventh Milan–San Remo

He opened his 1976 season with his record seventh victory in Milan–San Remo. He followed with a victory in the Catalan Week, but suffered a crash in the final stage when a spectator's bag caught his handlebars, injuring his elbow. This injury plagued his performance throughout the spring classic season. He entered the Giro d'Italia but failed to win a stage for the first time in his career. He finished the race in eighth overall while battling a saddle boil throughout the race. Following the Giro's conclusion Merckx announced that he and his team Molteni would not take part in the Tour de France. He took part in the men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships and finished in fifth position. He ended his season in October after racing for most of August. He failed to win the Super Prestige Pernod International, a competition where riders were awarded points for their placements in certain professional races, for the first time since 1968. In the first two months of his off-season, Merckx spent the majority of his time lying down. Molteni ended their sponsorship at the end of the season.

1977–1978: Fiat France and C&A

upright|thumb|180px|[[Raphaël Géminiani (pictured during the 1954 Tour de France) became Merckx's new team manager with Fiat France for the 1977 season|alt=A cyclist posing for a photo.]]

Fiat France became the new sponsor for Merckx's team and Raphaël Géminiani the new manager. He got his season's first victories in the Grand Prix d'Aix and Tour Méditerranéen. Merckx agreed to ride a light spring season in order to save himself for a chance at a sixth Tour victory. He took one stage at the Paris–Nice but had to withdraw from the race's final stage due to sinusitis. In the spring classics, Merckx did not win any races, with his best finish being a sixth place in the Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Before the Tour, Merckx raced both the Dauphiné Libéré and Tour de Suisse, winning one stage of the latter.

He admitted his poor form and anxiety about aggravating previous injuries going into the Tour de France. He held on to second place overall for two weeks. As the race entered the Alps, Merckx began to lose more time; he lost thirteen minutes on the stage to Alpe d'Huez alone. On the stage into Saint-Étienne, Merckx attacked and gained enough time to move into sixth overall; he finished the Tour in the same position. In the time following the Tour, Merckx raced twenty-two races in a span of forty days before coming in thirty-third at the UCI Road World Championships men's road race. Merckx earned his final victory on the road on 17 September in a kermis race. In late December, Fiat France chose to end their sponsorship of Merckx in favor of building a more French centered squad.

In January, the department store C&A announced that they would sponsor a new team for Merckx after their owner met Merckx at a football game. His plan for the season was to race one last Tour de France and then ride several smaller races for appearances. He raced a total of five races in the 1978 calendar. His last victory was in a track event, an omnium in Zürich, on 10 February 1978 with Patrick Sercu. His first road race came in the Grand Prix de Montauroux on 19 February. Merckx came to the front of the race and put in a large effort before swinging off and quitting the race. His best finish came in the Tour de Haut, where he managed fifth. He dropped out of Omloop Het Volk due to colitis and completed his final race on 19 March, a kermis in Kemzeke. Following the race, Merckx went on a vacation to go skiing. He returned from travel to train more, but by this point the team sponsor knew he was going to quit. Merckx announced his retirement from the sport on 18 May. He stated that the doctors advised him against racing.

Retirement

Following his exit from racing, Merckx opened up Eddy Merckx Cycles on 28 March 1980 in Brussels. The initial workers that were hired for the factory were trained by Ugo De Rosa, a notable bike maker, before starting. The company almost went bankrupt at one point and was also caught up in a tax repayment controversy. Merckx would spend time giving input on the models as they were being produced. Despite the financial problems the brand became highly regarded and successful, being used by several top-level cycling teams in the 1980s and 1990s. Merckx stepped down as CEO in 2008 and sold most of his shares, but continued to test the bikes that were created and had some input. Cycling journalist Sam Dansie believes that Eddy Merckx Cycles has maintained a presence as an elite bicycle due to its adoption of new methods over time. As of January 2015, the business is still based in Belgium and distributes to over twenty-five countries.

Merckx managed the Belgian national team world championships for eleven years, between 1986 and 1996. He acted as the race director for the Tour of Flanders for a brief period of time. He temporarily sponsored a youth developmental team with CGER Bank, a team that featured his son Axel. He helped organize the Grand Prix Eddy Merckx, which started out as an invitation only individual time trial event, later becoming a two-man time trial event. The event folded after 2004 due to riders' lack of interest.

He played a pivotal role in getting the Tour of Qatar started in 2002. In 2001 Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar, reached out to Merckx and told him of his interest in starting a bicycle race to show off his country. In addition, Merckx also helped Qatar secure the right to host the 2016 UCI Road World Championships, as well as designing the race route for the road race. In 2015, Merckx said later that although he was not racing, he knew would still be involved with the sport "as a bike builder, first in the factory and now as an ambassador." In November 2017, it was announced that Merckx and his partner Dirk De Pauw split with Tour of Oman organizer ASO following an undisclosed dispute. Merckx has become an ambassador for the Damien The Leper Society, a foundation named after a Catholic priest, which battles leprosy and other diseases in developing countries. He was blessed by Pope John Paul II in Brussels in the 1990s. Merckx is an art lover and stated that his favorite artist is René Magritte, a surrealist. Merckx was found to have a heart condition. A cardiologist, Giancarlo Lavezzaro, found that Merckx had non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease that has killed several young athletes. In August, he reported that he lost nearly 30 kg after the procedure.

In December 2024, Baron Merckx crashed while on a group bike ride and fractured his hip. He underwent surgery at the same hospital as Remco Evenepoel did the previous week. As a result of the accident, Merckx required a full hip replacement.

Legacy

thumb|Merckx (pictured in August 1973) was a successful cyclist on the road and on the track, with a record of 525 victories to his credit over the course of his career

Baron Merckx has been regarded by many as the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time. He rode well in the Grand Tours and in the one-day classics. He was a very good time trialist and climber. Due to his dominance in the sport some cycling historians refer to the period in which he raced as the "Merckx Era." During his professional career, he won 445 of the 1585 races he entered. and said: "Between us, I and Eddy Merckx have won every classic that can be won. I won Paris–Tours, Merckx won all the rest."

While racing, he became the third rider to win all three Grand Tours in his career, a feat that has since been accomplished by more riders. For his career successes in the Giro d'Italia, Merckx became the first rider inducted into the race's Hall of Fame in 2012. When being inducted, Merckx was given the modern-day trophy with the winners engraved until 1974, the last year he won the race.

He was given the nickname "The Cannibal" by the daughter of Christian Raymond, a teammate of Merckx's. He was criticized by opposing riders for his relentless pursuit of victory that prevented even lesser known riders from collecting a few victories. When told that he won too much, Merckx stated that "The day when I start a race without intending to win it, I won't be able to look at myself in the mirror."

Records overview

thumb|Merckx, pictured during the [[1970 Tour de France, has ridden the most days wearing the yellow jersey]]

Grand Tours

Most Grand Tour wins: 11
Most consecutive Grand Tours wins: 4 in 1972 Giro d'Italia, 1972 Tour de France, 1973 Vuelta a España & 1973 Giro d'Italia
Most Grand Tour stage wins: 64
Most Tour de France wins: 5 in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 & 1974 (record shared with Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin)
Most stage wins in 1 Tour de France: 8 in 1970 (record shared with Charles Pélissier and Freddy Maertens)
Most days in Tour de France yellow jersey 20px: 96
First winner of all 3 specialties in 1 Tour de France (mountain, sprint, and individual time trial) in 1974
The only general, points and mountains classification winner in the Tour de France: 1969
Most Tour de France combativity awards 20x20px: 4 in 1969, 1970, 1974 & 1975
Most Giro d'Italia wins: 5 in 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 & 1974 (record shared with Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi)
Most days in Giro d'Italia pink jersey 20px: 78
The only general, points and mountains classification winner in the Giro d'Italia: 1968

Classic races

Winner of all 5 Monuments of Cycling (record shared with Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck)
Most victories in all Monuments: 19
The only cyclist to win 3 Monuments in 1 year multiple times: 4 times in 1969, 1971, 1972 & 1975
The only cyclist to win all 5 Monuments more than once
Most victories in classic races: 28
Most victories in a single classic: 7 in Milan–San Remo 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975 & 1976
Most Liège–Bastogne–Liège wins: 5 in 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 & 1975
Most Gent–Wevelgem wins: 3 in 1967, 1970 & 1973 (shared record)

Other

thumb|Eddy Merckx in [[rainbow jersey, celebrating his first world title in 1967]]

Most road races won by a professional cyclist: 525
Most road races won in 1 season: 54 (of 120 entries) in 1971
UCI World hour record 20px: 1972
Most UCI World Road Championships 20x20px: 3 in 1967, 1971 & 1974 (record shared with Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen, Óscar Freire and Peter Sagan)
Triple Crown of Cycling winner: 1974 (record shared with Stephen Roche and Tadej Pogačar)
Monument winner, Grand Tour winner and UCI World Champion in 1 year: 1971 (record shared with Alfredo Binda, Bernard Hinault, Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel)
Most Super Prestige Pernod wins: 7 in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 & 1975
Most Escalada a Montjuïc wins: 6 in 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 & 1975
Most Giro di Sardegna wins: 4 in 1968, 1971, 1973 & 1975
Most Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme wins: 2 in 1975 and 1976 (shared record)

World hour record

{| class="wikitable"

!Discipline

!Record

!Date

!Event

!Velodrome

|Hour record

! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" |49.431 km

|25 October 1972

| style="text-align:center;" |—

|Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome, Mexico City

| style="text-align:center;" |

Doping

thumb|left|upright|Merckx (pictured during the 1969 [[Six Days of Milan) was involved in three separate doping incidents during his career|alt=A cyclist wearing a jersey that reads "Faema."]]

Merckx was leading the 1969 Giro d'Italia after the sixteenth stage in Savona. After the stage, he went to the mobile lab that travelled with the race and conducted drug tests. His first test was positive for fencamfamine, an amphetamine, The positive test meant Merckx was to be suspended for a month. Race director Vincenzo Torriani delayed the start of the seventeenth stage in an attempt to persuade the president of the Italian Cycling Federation to allow Merckx to begin the stage. The majority of the international press believed in his innocence, stating that with his lead, it was illogical that he would use banned substances on an easy stage, with a doping test certain to follow if he was still the leader. He argued that his samples had been mishandled. Upon learning of the first test being positive in later October, he had a counter-analysis performed which was also positive. In addition, Merckx was given a month's suspension and fined 150,000 lira.

On 8 May 1977, Merckx, along with several other riders, tested positive for the stimulant pemoline at La Flèche Wallonne. The group of riders was charged by the Belgian cycling federation, and were each given a 24,000 pesetas fine and a one-month suspension. The organizers stated that had to be role models", while Merckx wrote them off, claiming they were crazy.

40px Commander of the French Legion of Honour: 2014
40px Knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
40px Silver Olympic Order: 1995
Created Baron Merckx by Royal Decree, with devise Post Proelia Praemia: 1996
Honorary doctorate of the university VUB: 2011
Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee Order of Merit: 2013
Merckx is honorary citizen of Meise, Tielt-Winge and Tervuren
Bronze Zinneke: 2006

Sport awards and honours

thumb|In 2000, the UCI named Merckx (pictured in 1973) Cyclist of the 20th Century

Belgian National Sports Merit Award: 1967
Belgian Sportsman of the Year: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Tour de France Overall Combativity award: 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975
Tour de France Stage Combativity award (14): 4 in 1975; 3 in 1970; 2 in 1969, 1974 & 1977; 1 in 1971
PAP European Sportsperson of the Year: 1969, 1970
Swiss : 1980, 2021
Procyclingstats.com – All Time Wins Ranking (1st place, 276 wins)
Belgian Sportsman of the 20th Century: 1999
Reuters Worldwide Sports Personality of the Century (7th place): 1999
Reuters General Sportsman of the Century (2nd place): 1999
UCI Cyclist of the 20th Century: 2000
Marca Legend: 2000
Vincenzo Torriani Award: 2001
Introduced in the UCI Hall of Fame: 2002
UCI Top 100 of All Time: (1st place, 24 510 points)
Memoire du Cyclisme – Ranking of the Greatest Cyclists (1st place): 2002
Bleacher Report – The 30 Most Dominant Athletes of All Time (20th): 2010
Bleacher Report – Tour de France All-Time Top 25 Riders (1st place): 2011
Italian Sport and Civilization Award: 2011
First Member Giro Hall of Fame: 2012
Topito – Top 15 Greatest Cyclists Ever (1st place): 2012
L'Équipe Trophée Champion des Champions de Légende: 2014
Rouleur Hall of Fame: 2018
Velonews The Greatest Cyclists of All Time (1st place): 2019
Wiggle The Best Cyclists Ever Rank (1st place): 2020
Eurosport Greatest General Classification Cyclist of all Time: 2020
CyclingRanking – Overall Ranking (1st place): 2022
Vélo d'Or honorary award: 2023
ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award: 2025

Places and statues

Monument in Stavelot: 1993
Vélodrome Eddy Merckx, Mourenx: 1999
Eddy Merckx metro station, Brussels: 2003
Sports complex, Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx, Gent: 2006
Monument in Meise: 2015
Statue in Meensel-Kiezegem: 2015
Square Eddy Merckx in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe: 2019
Monument in Petit-Enghien: 2023

Events and awards

Golden Bike Eddy Merckx: a cycle race for novices from 1983 to 2008
Grand Prix Eddy Merckx: a professional cycle race from 1980 to 2004
Eddy Merckx Classics
Start of the 2019 Tour de France in Brussels in honour of Eddy Merckx
From 2023, the Vélo d'Or "Eddy Merckx trophy" is awarded for the best classics cyclist

In popular culture

thumb|Merckx on a 1969 Stamp of [[Emirate of Ajman|Ajman]]

Music

The single Vas-Y Eddy (1967) by Jean Saint-Paul is notable for being the first recorded song about Merckx.
Eddy Prend Le Maillot Jaune, a song by Pierre-André Gil was released after his first Tour de France victory.
The single Bravo Eddy! by Jean Narcy was released in 1970.
Eddy Est Imbattable! by Pierre-André Gil was released in 1971.
Merckx is mentioned in the 1974 song Paris-New York, New York-Paris by Jacques Higelin.
Eddy Merckx is a song by the Belgian band Sttellla on the album Il faut tourner l'Apache in 1998.

Films and series

A 1973 Danish short film was made, Eddy Merckx in the Vicinity of a Cup of Coffee, starring Merckx and Walter Godefroot.
In the 1973 comedy film The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob, Merckx was cited by Louis de Funès as the author of Che Guevara's famous quote: "The revolution is like a bicycle: when it doesn't move forward, it falls".
The 1974 documentary film La Course en Tête by Joël Santoni looks at the racing and private life of Merckx.
Jørgen Leth's 1974 film The Stars and the Watercarriers highlights Merckx performance in the 1973 Giro d'Italia and the often-overlooked domestiques who support the star cyclist.
The 1976 Danish documentary film A Sunday in Hell focuses on the contenders Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens, and Francesco Moser in the Paris–Roubaix race of that year.
The 1978 RTBF documentary Au Temps d'Eddy looks back at the career of Merckx.
Merckx has a cameo in the 1985 sports drama film American Flyers, starring Kevin Costner.
Merckx is the rival – more or less fantasized – of Benoît Poelvoorde in the 2001 film Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert by Philippe Harel.
In 2005, he appears in episode 39b of the second season of Space Goofs, where his character provides the Earth's core with energy, pedalling a stationary bike.
Merckx has a cameo in the 2012 French-Belgian comedy film Torpedo by Matthieu Donck.
The Flemish movie, set in the seventies Allez, Eddy was released in 2012.
In the documentary The King of Mont Ventoux (2012), Merckx rides a virtual race against other former stage winners Jean François Bernard, Marco Pantani, Richard Virenque and Juan Manuel Gárate.
Eddy Merckx is the subject of an autobiographical fiction written by Christophe Van Staen, entitled Eddy Merckx, Nobel Prize? (Lamiroy, 2019)
The documentary 1969 - Following Merckx (2022) attempts to recreate Merckx's legendary solo breakaway during Stage 17 of the 1969 Tour de France, providing insights into his strategic strength and determination.
Merckx, a documentary film with rare archive footage and interview fragments, was released in January 2025.

Comic books

Les Fabuleux Exploits d'Eddy Merckx, a celebrity comic, was released in 1973. It was translated in different languages.
Eddy Merckx appears in the comic strip San-Antonio Fait un Tour published by Fleuve Noir in 1973.
He appears as a speedy messenger in the comic book Asterix in Belgium of the Asterix series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, published in 1979.
A tribute to Eddy Merckx is paid in the 1987 Boule et Bill album nr. 24, Billets de Bill.
Merckx also appears in album 79 (1988) of the Robert en Bertrand series and album 247 (1996) of the Spike and Suzy series.
Another tribute is paid in one of the adventures of Donald Duck, who must compete against the champion of his uncle's rival: "Dydy Berkxz".

Books on Merckx

In English

The Champion Eddy Merckx by Claude le Boul in 1987, Ludion, 71 p. (Collected paintings; English, Dutch, French)
Eddy Merckx: The Greatest Cyclist of the 20th Century by Rik Vanwalleghem and Steven Hawkins in 1996, VeloPress, 216 p. (English)
Eddy Merckx 525 by Frederik Backelandt & Karl Vannieuwkerke in 2012, Kannibaal, 224 p. (English, Dutch)
Merckx 69: Celebrating the World's Greatest Cyclist in his Finest Year by Tonny Strouken and Jan Maes in 2015, Bloomsbury Publishing 180 p. (English, Dutch, French)
The Dream of Eddy Merckx by Freddy Merckx in 2019, Sportliteratuur Uitgeverij, 56 p. (English, Dutch, French)
De Rivals of Merckx by Filip Osselaer in 2019, Borgerhoff & Lamberigts, 208 p. (English, Dutch, French)
1969 – The Year of Eddy Merckx by Johny Vansevenant in 2019, Lannoo, 432 p. (English, Dutch, French)
Eddy Merckx: Biography Story for Kids by Willie M. Mone in 2024, Independently Published, 80 p. (English)
Eddy Merckx Biography: The Cannibal's Unstoppable Ride by W Alvin M. James in 2024, 71 p. (English)

In other languages

Eddy Merckx by Louis Clicteur & Lucien Berghmans in 1967, 164 p. (Dutch)
Mijn Wegjournaal by Louis Clicteur in 1971, 176 p. (Dutch)
En Toen Kwam Eddy Merckx by Jan Cornand & André Blancke in 1975, 216 p. (Dutch)
En Toen Ging Eddy Merckx by Jan Cornand in 1978, 110 p. (Dutch)
Eddy Merckx Story by Jan Cornand in 1978, 111 p. (Dutch)
Toen Merckx er Nog Was André Blancke in 1979, 111 p. (Dutch)
Eddy Merckx – Mijn Levensverhaal by Robert Janssens in 1989, 208 p. (Dutch)
Eddy Merckx – De Mens achter de Kannibaal by Rik Vanwalleghem in 1993, 216 p. (Dutch, French)
Spraakmakende biografie van Eddy Merckx by Philippe Brunel in 2005, 192 p. (Dutch)
De Mannen achter Merckx : het Verhaal van Faema en Molteni by Patrick Cornillie and Johny Vansevenant in 2006, 304 p. (Dutch, French)
Fietspassie/La Passion du Vélo by Toon Claes and Eddy Merckx in 2008, 196 p. (Dutch, French)
De Zomer van '69, hoe Merckx won van Armstrong by Patrick Cornillie in 2009, 343 p. (Dutch)
Merckxissimo by Karl Vannieuwkerke & Stephan Vanfleteren in 2009, 144 p. (Dutch, French)
Eddy Merckx en Ik – Herinneringen aan de Kannibaal by Stefaan Van Laere in 2010, 184 p. (Dutch)
Eddy Merckx – Getuigenissen van Jan Wauters by Jan Wauters in 2010, 176 p. (Dutch)
Mannen tegen Merckx – van Van Looy tot Maertens by Johny Vansevenant in 2012 (Dutch)
Eddy Merckx – Een leven by Daniel Friebe in 2013, 272 p. (Dutch)
Eddy Merckx – De biografie by Johny Vansevenant in 2015, 400 p. (Dutch, French)
Eddy! Eddy! Eddy! De Tour in België by Geert de Vriese in 2019, 256 p. (Dutch)
50 jaar Merckx – Jubileum van een Tourlegende by Tonny Strouken in 2020, 140 p. (Dutch, French)
Merckx 80 by Guy Roger & Robert Janssens in 2025, 264 p. (Dutch)
De Ultieme Biografie - Ik Wilde Altijd Winnen by Johny Vansevenant in 2025, 432 p. (Dutch)
Maestro Merckx by Stefaan van Laere and Robert Janssens in 2025, 174 p. (Dutch, French)
L'Irrésistible Ascension d'un Jeune Champion by Pierre Thonon in 1968, 170 p. (French)
Merckx ou la Rage de Vaincre by Léon Zitrone in 1969, 208 p. (French) ASIN B0061R9A8O
Qui êtes-vous Eddy Merckx? by Marc Jeuniau in 1969, 112 p. (French) ASIN B008AWK3MK
Du Maillot Arc en Ciel au Maillot Jaune by Pierre Thonon in 1970, 167 p. (French)
Le Phénomène Eddy Merckx et ses Rivaux by François Terbeen in 1971, 185 p. (French) ASIN B003WRURD8
Face à Face avec Eddy Merckx by Marc Jeuniau in 1971, 111 p. (French)
Mes Carnets de Route en 1971 by Marc Jeuniau in 1971, 159 p. (French)
Plus d'un Tour dans Mon Sac: Mes Carnets de Route 1972 by Marc Jeuniau in 1972, 158 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx cet Inconnu by Roger Bastide in 1972, 124 p. (French)
Les Exploits Fabuleux d'Eddy Merckx by Yves Duval and Christian Lippens in 1973, 48 p. (Comic book in French)
Mes 50 Victoires en 1973: Mes carnets de route 1973 by René Jacobs in 1973, 159 p. (French)
Merckx / Ocana : Duel au Sommet by François Terbeen in 1974, 217 p. (French)
Coureur Cycliste: Un Homme et son Métier by Eddy Merckx and Pierre Chany in 1974, 248 p. (French)
Ma Chasse aux Maillots Rose, Jaune, Arc-en-Ciel: Mes Carnets de route 1974 by Eddy Merckx, Marc Jeuniau, Pierre Depré in 1974, 158 p. (French) ASIN B0014MKH4C
Le Livre d'Or de Eddy Merckx by Georges Pagnoud in 1976, 111 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx l'Homme du Défi by Marc Jeuniau in 1977, 220 p. (French)
La Roue de la Fortune, du Champion à l'Homme d'Affaires by Joël Godaert in 1989, 208 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx, l'Épopée by Théo Mathy in 1999, 159 p. (French)
Merckx Intime by Philippe Brunel in 2002, 159 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx, Ma Véritable Histoire by Stéphane Thirion in 2006, 200 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx, les Tours de France d'un Champion Unique by Théo Mathy in 2008, 200 p. (French)
Tour 75 : Le Rêve du Cannibale by Laurent Watiez in 2010, 103 p. (French)
Dans l'Ombre d'Eddy Merckx – Les Hommes qui ont Couru contre le Cannibale by Johny Vansevenant in 2012, 384 p. (French)
Coup de Foudre dans l'Aubisque: Eddy Merckx dans la Légende by Bertrand Lucq in 2015, 136 p. (French)
Eddy : Ma Saison des Classiques en Version 1973 by François Paoletti in 2015, 212 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx, c’est Beaucoup plus qu’Eddy Merckx by Christophe Penot in 2015, 48 p. (French)
Sur les Traces d'Eddy Merckx by Jean-Louis Lahaye and ean-Louis Lahaye in 2016, 250 p. (French)
La Fabuleuse Carrière d'Eddy Merckx en un Survol by Michel Crepel in 2016, 202 p. (French)
Eddy Été 69 by Jean-Paul Vespini in 2019, 191 p. (French)
On m'Appelait le Cannibale by Stéphane Thirion in 2019, 255 p. (French)
Eddy Merckx : Analyse d'une Légende by Jean Cléder in 2019, 224 p. (French)
Merckx-Ocana: Le Bel Ete 1971 by Pascal Sergent in 2021, 153 p. (French)
Inaccessible Merckx by Guy Roger in 2024, 279 p. (French, German, Spanish)
E non Chiamatemi (più) Cannibale. Vita e Imprese di Eddy Merckx by Angelo De Lorenzi in 2003, 153 p. (Italian)
Il Sessantotto a Pedali. Al Giro con Eddy Merckx by Francesco Ricci in 2008, 151 p. (Italian)
Fausto Coppi Eddy Merckx. Due campionissimi a confronto by Luciano Boccaccini in 2011, 112 p. (Italian)
Chiedimi chi Era Merckx. Le Stagioni di Eddy dall'Esordio al Congedo by Porreca G. Paolo in 2013, 237 p. (Italian)
Merckx, il Figlio del Tuono (Merckx, the Son of Thunder) by Claudio Gregori in 2016, 570 p. (Italian)
Gimondi & Merckx. La Sfida by Giorgio Martino in 2019, 159 p. (Italian)
Eddy Merckx by Helmer Boelsen in 1973, 128 p. (German)
Die Nacht, in der Ich Eddy Merckx Bezwang by Marc Locatelli in 2019, 48 p. (German)

Career achievements

References

Footnotes

Citations