Take a look at Eddy Merckx, the professional rider who took the competitive cycling world by storm.
Belgian professional cyclist Eddy Merckx is easily regarded as the greatest cyclist of his generation, and of all time. And his incredible professional achievements all started with humble amateur ones.
In 1964, Eddy won the Amateur World Championship which earned him a rare opportunity to make it in the professional cyclist world the following year. Just another year later in 1966, Merckx won the Milan San Remo when he was just 20 years old and his cycling career exploded.
With 19 classic victories under his belt, Eddy has won several of the most prestigious cycling competition in the world including:
- Tour de France (5 times)
- Giro d’Italia (5 times)
- Vuelta a Espana (1 time)
Merckx has broken the World Hour Record and was the World Champion three times over, all before retiring in 1978. Through the 1980s and ‘90s, Merckx coached national cycling teams in Belgium and organized cycling tours for other riders.
He remains active in the cycling community to this day and owns Eddy Merckx Cycles, a prestigious Belgian bike brand popular among avid cyclists.