Eddy Merckx

Born in Meensel-Kiezegem in 1945, Merckx grew up above his parents' grocery store in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, tried several sports, and found cycling. He got his first bike at three or four, raced in 1961, won at Petit-Enghien that October, and turned professional with Solo-Superia in April 1965 after eighty amateur wins. His first monument came at Milan-San Remo in 1966 after switching to Peugeot-BP-Michelin, then his first Grand Tour at the 1968 Giro d'Italia with Faema. Between 1970 and 1974 he completed a Grand Tour double four times; the final one in '74 paired with the World Championships road race to make him the first rider to take cycling's Triple Crown. In October 1972 he extended the hour record by nearly 800 metres. He retired 18 May 1978, launched Eddy Merckx Cycles in 1980, coached Belgium's national team for eleven years until 1996, and helped organize the Tours of Qatar and Oman before stepping back in 2017.