Editing Eddy Merckx (section)

====1973: A Giro–Vuelta double====
An illness prevented Merckx from taking part in the Milan–San Remo at the start of the 1973 calendar.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=213}} During a span of nineteen days, Merckx won four classics including Omloop Het Volk, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and Paris–Roubaix.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=213}} He decided to race the [[1973 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]] and the [[1973 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]], instead of racing the [[1973 Tour de France|Tour de France]].{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=213}} He won the opening prologue of the Vuelta to take an early lead.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=213}} Despite Ocaña's best efforts, Merckx won a total of six stages on his way to his only Vuelta a España title.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=213}} In addition to the general classification, Merckx won the race's [[Points classification in the Vuelta a España|points classification]] and [[Combination classification in the Vuelta a España|combination classifications]].{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=213}}

Four days after the conclusion of the Vuelta, Merckx lined up to start the Giro d'Italia.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=214}} He won the opening two-man time trial with [[Roger Swerts]] and the next day's leg as well.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=215}} Merckx's primary competitor, Fuente, lost a significant amount of time during the second stage.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=214}} He won the eighth stage which featured a summit finish to [[Monte Carpegna]] despite Fuente attacking several times on the ascent.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=215}} Fuente tried attacking throughout the rest of the race, but was only able to make time gains on the race's penultimate stage.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=215}} Merckx won the race after leading from start to finish, a feat only previously accomplished by [[Alfredo Binda]] and [[Costante Girardengo]].{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=215}} He also became the first rider to win the Giro and Vuelta in the same calendar year.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=215}}

[[File:Felice Gimondi 1966.jpg|thumb|180px|upright|[[Felice Gimondi]] (pictured in 1966) won the men's road race at the [[1973 UCI Road World Championships]], ahead of Merckx who was unable to contest the final sprint to the line, finishing last out of the leading group of four.|alt=A Felice Gimondi stamp.]]
The [[1973 UCI Road World Championships|UCI Road World Championships]] were held in [[Barcelona]], Spain in 1973 and contested on the Montjuich circuit.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=216}} During the road race, Merckx attacked with around one hundred kilometers left.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=216}} His move was marked by [[Freddy Maertens]], Gimondi, and Ocaña.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|pp=216–217}} Merckx attacked on the final lap, but was reeled in by the three riders.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=217}} It came down to a sprint between the four, of which Merckx came in last and Gimondi in first.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=217}} Following the road race, Merckx won his first [[Paris–Brussels]] and [[Grand Prix des Nations]].{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=218}} He won both legs of [[À travers Lausanne]], as well as the Giro di Lombardia, but a [[#Doping|doping positive]] disqualified him.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=218}} He closed the season with over fifty victories to his credit.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=218}}