Editing Eddy Merckx (section)

== Legacy ==
[[File:Eddy Merckx Molteni 1973.jpg|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.]]
Merckx has been regarded by many as the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time.<ref name="VN EM 70" /><ref name="VN 60" />{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}}{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=368}}<ref name="BRI EM">{{cite web|url=http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/photo-galleries/rider-gallery/merckx-eddy.html |title=Eddy Merckx Photo Gallery |work= Bike Race Info |publisher=Dog Ear Publishing |last1=McGann |first1=Bill |last2=McGann |first2=Carol |access-date=6 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713162638/http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/photo-galleries/rider-gallery/merckx-eddy.html|archive-date=13 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYT CAN">{{cite news|author=George Vecsey|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/sports/cycling/cyclist-merckx-had-big-appetite-for-racing-and-winning.html|title=Appetite for Racing, and for Winning|date=26 August 2011|work=The New York Times|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722133243/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/sports/cycling/cyclist-merckx-had-big-appetite-for-racing-and-winning.html|archive-date=22 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> He rode well in the Grand Tours and in the one-day classics.<ref name="PM EM">{{cite web|url=http://pelotonmagazine.com/pages/from-inside-peloton-1972-the-greatest-season-ever/|title=From Inside Peloton: 1972, The Greatest Season Ever|author=Patrick Brady |work=Peloton|date=6 April 2014 |publisher=Move Press|access-date=10 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710220420/http://pelotonmagazine.com/goods/eddy-merckx-custom-bike-eddy-70/|archive-date=10 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He was a very good time trialist and climber.<ref name="sports-reference" />{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}}<ref name="BRI EM" /> In addition, Merckx showed great ability to race on the track.<ref name="BRI EM" /> He was known for racing style that consisted of attacking constantly, which came to be known as ''la course en tête'' ("the race in the lead") for which the documentary on Merckx, "La Course en Tête" (which also has the double meaning of 'the race in your head') was named.{{Sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=219}}{{refn|name=Tete|group=N|This term was popularized by the eponymous film by Joel Santoni that documented Merckx's racing.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=219}}}} Attacking for Merckx was the best form of defence.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=220}} He would spend a day in a breakaway and then make another significant attack the following day.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=221}} Despite his constant attacking, he would occasionally ride in a defensive mindset, particularly when racing the Giro and facing Fuente.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=222}} Merckx entered over 1,800 races during his career and won a total of 525.<ref name="VN EM 70" /><ref name="CN EM TC" /><ref name="BRI EM" /><ref name="PM EM" /><ref name="CW EM Lega">{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/cycling-legends-the-ultimate-guide-to-eddy-merckx-out-now-176086|title=Cycling Legends: the ultimate guide to Eddy Merckx – pre-order your copy now|author=Cycling Weekly|work=Cycling Weekly|publisher=IPC Media |date=10 June 2015|access-date=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714130343/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/cycling-legends-the-ultimate-guide-to-eddy-merckx-out-now-176086|archive-date=14 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to his dominance in the sport some cycling historians refer to the period in which he raced as the "Merckx Era."{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=225}} During his professional career, he won 445 of the 1585 races he entered.<ref name="VN 60" /> Between the years of 1967 and 1977 Merckx raced between 111 and 151 races each season.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=277}} In 1971, he raced 120 times and won 54 of the events,{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=225}} the most races any cyclist has won in a season. Merckx admits that he was the best of his generation, but insists it's not practical to compare across generations.<ref name="NYT CAN" /> Given the specialization of a cyclist's role in the modern peloton, Merckx's number of road race victories will most likely never be surpassed in the future.

Merckx is one of the three riders to win all five '[[Classic cycle races|Monuments of Cycling]]' (i.e., Milan–San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège]], and the Giro di Lombardia), the other two being Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck.<ref name="sports-reference" />{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}} He finished his career with nineteen victories across the monuments, more than any other rider and eight more than the rider with the second most.<ref name="sports-reference" />{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}}<ref name="CN EM TC" /> He won twenty-eight classic races,<ref name="BRI EM" /> with Paris–Tours being the only race he did not win. The closest he came to victory in the race was sixth in the 1973 race. A lesser Belgian rider, [[Noël Vantyghem|Noël van Tyghem]], won Paris–Tours in 1972<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cykelsiderne.net/wedstrijdfichestatscdet.php?wedstrijdid=1102&landid=17 |title=Cykelsiderne. Database. Sejre/Etaper pr. land Paris – Tours Belgien |publisher=Cykelsiderne.net |date=27 June 2010 |access-date=17 July 2010}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Independent, alt view">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/tour-de-france-an-alternative-view-of-the-ultimate-road-race-456215.html |title=Tour de France: An alternative view of the ultimate road race|work=The Independent|location=UK |publisher=Independent Digital News and Media |date= 6 July 2007|access-date=17 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708095307/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/tour-de-france-an-alternative-view-of-the-ultimate-road-race-456215.html|archive-date=8 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote = One takes Merckx's legs, Merckx's head, Merckx's muscles, Merckx's heart and Merckx's zeal for victory.
| source = [[Bernard Hinault]] when asked to describe the "ideal cyclist"<ref>{{cite web |date=17 June 2015 |title=70 feitjes over de jarige 'Kannibaal' Eddy Merckx |url=https://www.ad.nl/wielrennen/70-feitjes-over-de-jarige-kannibaal-eddy-merckx~a06efbeb/ |website=www.ad.nl |publisher=[[Algemeen Dagblad]] |language=nl}}</ref>
| bgcolor = #CCDDFF
| align = right
| width = 29%
| quoted = 1
}}
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.{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}}<ref name="PM EM" /> He holds the record for most Grand Tour victories with 11, along with the record for most stage wins across all three Grand Tours with 64.<ref name="CW EM Lega" /> He has completed the most Giro-Tour doubles in history with three.<ref name="PM EM" /><ref name="CW EM Lega" /> He was the first rider to win cycling's Triple Crown which has only been accomplished two other times, by [[Stephen Roche]] in 1987 and [[Tadej Pogačar]] in 2024.<ref name="sports-reference" />{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}}<ref name="BRI EM" /> He is the only rider to win the general, points and mountains classifications at the Giro d'Italia, in 1968, and at the Tour de France, in 1969.{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}} Since then, the general, points and mountains classifications have been won at the Vuelta a España by [[Tony Rominger]] in 1993 and by [[Laurent Jalabert]] in 1995.{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=130}} He shares the record for most victories at both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, with five wins at each.{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=225}}{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=368}} In those races he also holds the records for days spent in the race leader's jersey at 78 and 96 respectively.{{sfn|Nauright|Parrish|2012|p=368}}<ref name="VN EM GDTHOF">{{cite news|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame-inducts-eddy-merckx-as-its-first-member_209438|title=Giro d'Italia Hall of Fame inducts Eddy Merckx as its first member|date=15 March 2012|author=VeloNews.com |work=VeloNews|publisher=Competitor Group|access-date=14 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630014658/http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame-inducts-eddy-merckx-as-its-first-member_209438|archive-date=30 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> For his career successes in the Giro d'Italia, Merckx became the first rider inducted into the race's Hall of Fame in 2012.<ref name="VN EM GDTHOF" /><ref name="CN EM HOF">{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-inducted-into-giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame |title=Merckx inducted into Giro d'Italia Hall of Fame|date=16 March 2012 |work=Cycling News|access-date=13 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626210151/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/merckx-inducted-into-giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame|archive-date=26 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> When being inducted, Merckx was given the modern-day trophy with the winners engraved until 1974, the last year he won the race.<ref name="VN EM GDTHOF" /><ref name="CN EM HOF" /> At the Tour, he sits just behind Mark Cavendish for the record of the most stage wins in a career, Merckx's thirty-four to Cavendish's thirty-five.<ref name="BRI EM" /><ref name="CW EM Lega" />{{sfn|Liggett|Raia|Lewis|2005|p=179}} The ''Grand Départ'' for the [[2019 Tour de France]] was held in Brussels, Belgium to honor Merckx's first Tour de France win in 1969.<ref name="VN Tdf 2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.velonews.com/2019/07/news/50-years-on-merckxs-legendary-status-gets-fresh-recognition_496410|title=50 years on, Merckx's legendary status gets fresh recognition|date=7 July 2019|author=Rupert Guinness |work=VeloNews|access-date=9 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809022213/https://www.velonews.com/2019/07/news/50-years-on-merckxs-legendary-status-gets-fresh-recognition_496410|archive-date=9 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Tour de France honours Merckx with 2019 Brussels Grand Depart |url=https://en.as.com/en/2017/05/30/other_sports/1496178624_428985.html |access-date=6 July 2019 |work=[[Diario AS]] |agency=[[Perform Group]] |date=30 May 2017}}</ref>

He was given the nickname "The Cannibal" by the daughter of [[Christian Raymond]], a teammate of Merckx's.<ref name="NYT CAN" />{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=146}} Raymond had commented on Merckx not allowing anyone else to win, to which his daughter referred to Merckx as a cannibal.{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=146}}<ref name="NYT CAN" /> Raymond liked the nickname and then mentioned it to the press.{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=146}} In Italy, he was known as ''il mostro'' ("the Monster").{{sfn|Foot|2011|p=226}}

Dutch cyclist [[Joop Zoetemelk]] said "First there was Merckx, and then another classification began behind him."<ref name="VN 60" /> Cycling journalist and commentator [[Phil Liggett]] wrote that if Merckx started a race, many riders acknowledged that they likely would be competing for second place.{{sfn|Liggett|Raia|Lewis|2005|p=178}} Ted Costantino wrote that Merckx was undoubtedly the number one cyclist of all time, whereas in other sports there are debates that go on about who is actually the greatest of all time.<ref name="VN 60" /> [[Gianni Motta]] told of how Merckx would ride without a racing cape when it was snowing or raining in order to go faster than other riders.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=54}} Even after his retirement, many subsequent stars still feel overshadowed by his fame and race results. Merckx befriended [[Fiorenzo Magni]] when he began racing for an Italian team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame-inducts-eddy-merckx-as-its-first-member_209438 |title=Giro d'Italia Hall of Fame inducts Eddy Merckx as its first member |work=VeloNews |date=25 April 2012 |access-date=30 October 2013 |archive-date=30 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630014658/http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/giro-ditalia-hall-of-fame-inducts-eddy-merckx-as-its-first-member_209438 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was criticized by opposing riders for his relentless pursuit of victory that prevented even lesser known riders from collecting a few victories.{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=131-132}} 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."{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=226}}

=== Records overview ===

==== Grand Tours ====
* Most [[Grand Tour (cycling)#Wins per rider|Grand Tour wins]]: 11
* Most [[Grand Tour (cycling)#Winners of three or more consecutive Grand Tours|consecutive Grand Tours wins]]: 4 in [[1972 Giro d'Italia]], [[1972 Tour de France]], [[1973 Vuelta a España]] & [[1973 Giro d'Italia]]
* Most [[List of riders with stage wins at all three cycling Grand Tours|Grand Tour stage wins]]: 64
* Most [[List of Tour de France general classification winners#Multiple winners|Tour de France wins]]: 5 in [[1969 Tour de France|1969]], [[1970 Tour de France|1970]], [[1971 Tour de France|1971]], [[1972 Tour de France|1972]] & [[1974 Tour de France|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 [[Yellow jersey statistics|Tour de France yellow jersey]] [[File:Jersey gold.svg|20px]]: 96
* First [[Tour de France records and statistics#Riders who have won in all three specialties|winner of all 3 specialties in 1 Tour de France]] (mountain, sprint, and [[individual time trial]]) in 1974 (equalled by [[Bernard Hinault]] and [[Wout van Aert]])
* The only general, points and mountains classification winner in the Tour de France: 1969
* Most Tour de France [[Combativity award in the Tour de France|combativity awards]] [[File:Jersey_red_number.svg|20x20px]]: 4 in 1969, 1970, 1974 & [[1975 Tour de France|1975]]
* Most [[Giro d'Italia]] wins: 5 in [[1968 Giro d'Italia|1968]], [[1970 Giro d'Italia|1970]], [[1972 Giro d'Italia|1972]], [[1973 Giro d'Italia|1973]] & [[1974 Giro d'Italia|1974]] (record shared with [[Alfredo Binda]] and [[Fausto Coppi]])
* Most days in [[Giro d'Italia records and statistics|Giro d'Italia pink jersey]] [[File:Jersey rosa.svg|20px]]: 78
* The only general, points and mountains classification winner in the Giro d'Italia: [[1968 Giro d'Italia|1968]]

==== Classic races ====
* Winner of all 5 [[Cycling monument|Monuments of Cycling]] (record shared with [[Rik Van Looy]] and [[Roger De Vlaeminck]])
* [[Cycling monument#Most monuments wins|Most victories in all Monuments]]: 19
* The only [[Cycling monument#Winners of three monuments in a single year|winner of 3 Monuments in 1 year]]: 4 times in 1969, 1971, 1972 & 1975
* The only cyclist to win all 5 [[Cycling monument|Monuments]] more than once
* Most victories in [[Classic cycle races|classic races]]: 28{{refn|name=classics|group=N|Classics at that time were Milano-San Remo, Ronde van Vlanderen, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Il Lombardia, Paris-Tours, Fleche Wallonne, Paris-Brussels, Amstel Gold Race, Züri-Metzgete and Gante-Wevelgen. He never won Paris-Tours neither Züri-Metzgete.}}
* Most victories in a single classic: 7 in [[Milan–San Remo]] [[1966 Milan–San Remo|1966]], [[1967 Milan–San Remo|1967]], [[1969 Milan–San Remo|1969]], [[1971 Milan–San Remo|1971]], [[1972 Milan–San Remo|1972]], [[1975 Milan–San Remo|1975]] & [[1976 Milan–San Remo|1976]]
* Most [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège]] wins: 5 in [[1969 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|1969]], [[1971 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|1971]], [[1972 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|1972]], [[1973 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|1973]] & [[1975 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|1975]]
* Most [[Gent–Wevelgem]] wins: 3 in [[1967 Gent–Wevelgem|1967]], [[1970 Gent–Wevelgem|1970]] & [[1973 Gent–Wevelgem|1973]] (shared record)

==== Other ====
[[File:Jan Janssen, Eddy Merckx, Ramon Saez Marzo 1967.jpg|thumb|Merckx celebrating his first UCI world title in [[1967 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1967]].]]
* Most road races won by a professional cyclist: 525
* Most road races won in 1 season: 54 (of 120 entries) in 1971
* [[Hour record|UCI World hour record]] [[File:MaillotMundialCrono.PNG|20px]]: [[Hour record#UCI hour record (1972–2014)|1972]]
* Most [[UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|UCI World Road Championships]] [[File:Jersey_rainbow.svg|20x20px]]: 3 in [[1967 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1967]], [[1971 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1971]] & [[1974 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|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]])
* [[1971 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Monument]] winner, [[1971 Tour de France|Grand Tour]] winner and [[1971 UCI Road World Championships|UCI World Champion]] in 1 year: 1971 (record shared with [[Alfredo Binda]], [[Bernard Hinault]], [[Remco Evenepoel]] and [[Tadej Pogačar]])
* Most [[Super Prestige Pernod]] wins: 7 in 1969, 1970, [[1971 Super Prestige Pernod|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
!{{abbr|Ref|References}}
|-
|[[Hour record]]
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;" |49.431&nbsp;km
|25 October 1972
| style="text-align:center;" |—
|[[Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome]], [[Mexico City]]
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref name="sporting">{{cite web |date=25 October 2022 |title=RETRO: 50 jaar geleden verpulverde Eddy Merckx het uurrecord |url=https://sporza.be/nl/2022/10/25/retro-50-jaar-geleden-verpulverde-eddy-merckx-het-uurrecord~1666687517270/ |access-date=25 October 2022 |publisher=[[Sporza]]}}</ref>
|}