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Eddy Merckx

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Eddy Merckx

Eddy Merckx (n. 17 iunie 1945 în Meensel-Kiezegem, Belgia; de fapt Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx) este un fost ciclist profesionist belgian. El a câştigat de 5 ori cele mai importante competiţii ca Turul Franţei şi Giro d’Italia (Turul Italiei). Experţii îl consideră ciclistul cel mai bun din toate timpurile. El stă pe lista marilor sportivi ca Lance ArmstrongBernard Hinault şi Miguel Indurain. Datorită dorinţei sale necontenite de a câştiga era poreclit "canibalul", el a fost bun la aproape toate probele. Singurul sportiv care l-a depăşit la numărul de victorii este ciclista franceză Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli care are în palmares 1.011 de victorii. 

ENGLISH VERSION                                                                                                                                              

 

Eddy Merckx

Eddy Merckx
Merckx in 1973 {!}alt=A man holding a bicycle. The man's shirt says "Molteni Arcore".
Merckx in 1973
Personal information
Full name Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx
Nickname The Cannibal
Date of birth 17 June 1945 (age 65)
Place of birth Meensel-Kiezegem, Belgium
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Road and track
Role Rider
Rider type All-rounder
Amateur team(s)
1961–1964 Evere Kerkhoek Sportif
Professional team(s)
1965
1966–1967
1968–1970
1971–1976
1977
1978
Solo-Superia
Peugeot-BP
Faema
Molteni
Fiat
C&A
Major wins
Tour de France
Jersey yellow.svg Overall Classification (19691970197119721974)
Jersey green.svgPoints Classification (1969, 1971, 1972)
Jersey polkadot.svgMountain Classification (1969, 1970)
Jersey red number.svgCombativity award (1969, 1970, 1974, 1975)
34 Individual Stages (1969–1975)

Giro d'Italia

Jersey pink.svg Overall Classification (19681970197219731974)
Jersey violet.svg Points Classification (1968, 1973)
Jersey green.svg Mountain Classification (1968)
24 Individual Stages (1968–1974)

Vuelta a España

Jersey gold.svg Overall Classification (1973)
Jersey blue.svg Points Classification (1973)
Jersey white.svg Combined Classification (1973)
6 Individual Stages

MaillotMundial.PNG Road Race World Championships (1967, 1971, 1974)
Milan-Sanremo (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976)
Ronde van Vlaanderen (1969, 1975)
Paris-Roubaix (1968, 1970, 1973)
Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975)
Giro di Lombardia (1971, 1972)
Super Prestige Pernod International (1969,
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)

Infobox last updated on:
16 January 2007

Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmerks]) (born 17 June 1945 in Meensel-Kiezegem[1]), better known as Eddy Merckx, is aBelgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known."[2] The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time.[3] He won the Tour de France five times, won all the classics exceptParis-Tours,[2] won the Giro d'Italia five times and the Vuelta a España, won the world championship as an amateur and a professional, and broke the worldhour record.


Eddy Merckx was one of three children born to a couple who ran a grocery in the middle-class area of Sint-Pieters-Woluwe. His brother and sister are twins.[4] The family moved to the suburb when he was young. He said:

I had a beautiful childhood. I had loving, very sensible parents. We weren't rich, but my younger brother and sister... and myself never wanted for anything. My father was a man of great character and my mother very warm and kind. Both of them were wonderful examples to me. Like everyone, I am a mixture of both of them. My determination and willingness to work hard came from my father. He worked tirelessly to build up his grocery business. He was strict on discipline, but he was also a bit of a philosopher. I have kept some of his sayings in my head for the whole of my life. From my mother I get my softer side. An example of that is the fact that I often find it difficult to say no to people. They maybe don't mean to, but people can use you up if you let them.

He acquired his first racing bike, second-hand, when he was eight. His hero was Stan Ockers, who died in a fall on Antwerp track in 1956.

"[He was my hero] because of the Tour de France. Ockers had won stages in it, won the green jersey twice, finished second overall twice. He was always in the news during the Tour de France, and the Tour was everything to me. The race. I didn't even know much about the classics because they were held on a Sunday, and on that day we used to visit my grandmother at her farm in Meensel-Kiezegem, where I was born."

Merckx said:

"I hated school, I loved doing all the sports, but I hated to be inside. I left as soon as I could. It caused friction at home, especially with my father. But it was typical of him that he supported my decision, especially when he saw that I loved the thing I had chosen, cycling, and was doing well at it."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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