Eddy Merckx – Out On His Own: ‘The Cannibal’ through the eyes of his rivals and teammates

‘It is impossible to win everything he has won’ – Tadej Pogacar

‘Explains why and how the Belgian champion will remain the greatest cyclist of all time’ – Planète Cyclisme

The author puts the Belgian’s most beautiful wins in perspective by looking at his opponents’– L’Est Républicain

‘Merckx is in a class by himself’ – Jacques Anquetil

A UNIQUE ACCOUNT OF MERCKX’S DOMINANCE OF CYCLING, WITH PREVIOUSLY UNTOLD ANECDOTES AND MEMORIES.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY EDDY MERCKX

For over 50 years, Eddy Merckx has reigned supreme as the greatest cyclist of all time, winning every bike race going: Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta, The Monuments, World Championships and the Hour Record. With Tadej Pogacar’s recent exploits inviting comparison with the man they called the ‘Cannibal’, this book looks back at Merckx’s incredible lifetime of racing, and of his insatiable appetite for victory which won him over 500 races.

Former L’Équipe journalist Guy Roger has traversed Europe to talk to the officials and journalists who were there, to interview Merckx’s former adversaries and teammates, and to reveal their accounts of racing with and against him.

Filled with anecdotes and previously untold memories, the book also looks back at the surreal Merckx years through the eyes of some of his greatest admirers such as Ned Boulting, Carlton Kirby, Nige Tassell, Andy McGrath and Phil Cavell. Eddy Merckx himself looks back at his life in a moving afterword, making this the ultimate celebration of a truly fascinating man.