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Simply put, Merckx is known as the greatest cyclist ever.
The French magazine Vélo described Merckx as "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known," while VeloNews of the United States declared him to be the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time. Few would dispute this.
Belgian-born Merckx turned professional in 1965 and subsequently won both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia five times, and the Vuelta a España once. He also won all of professional cycling's classic "monument" races at least twice each (19 Classics victories in total), and he was World Champion four times. He broke the world hour record and retired in 1978.
It is not only the number of wins that set Merckx apart, but the variety. Today, riders tend to specialize – there are rake-thin Grand Tour specialists, bulldog-like classics specialists and time-trial champs, but few if any excel in all disciplines and nor are they expected to.
Merckx was different. Whether a race lasted 3 hours or 3 weeks, he contested them all and won all types. This didn’t arise solely from sheer physical fitness but also an approach to racing that saw him dubbed 'Le Cannibal', eating up his competitors alive.
For Merckx, winning was not enough – he had to win by the greatest margin possible, often humiliating his competitors by the distance he could put on them.
Soigneur’s tribute jersey to Merckx features his 'Le Cannibal' nickname, and features the colours of his country's national championship jersey.
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