How GOOD Was Eddy Merckx Really?
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- Опубликовано: 16 май 2024
- Eddy Merckx is considered the greatest cyclist of all time with 525 victories to his name which include 11 grandtours and 19 monuments among numerous records to his name.
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Shook his hand a few years ago at Godeau cycles ( Godeau was his year long mechanic). Eddy Merckx is the calmest and humblest man you'll ever encounter. I still can't discern what impressed me most... Shaking the hand of a living legend or encountering the most gracious human being.
He gave an interview on the pain he faces all the time. He said if there is any morning where he's not in pain then that's only because he's dead. It was already difficult for him to turn 40 years old he said one time. Now he's almost twice that age. Dude has to be calm. His body won't let him be any other way ;))
@@bastian6173 Was that the result of that awful crash during a 6-day race in which his pacer died? He was never the same after that, but was still amazingly good.
@@stevemawer848 Idk... I only know one time he hurt his knee real bad and since then he's been in almost constant pain. I think now he is mostly dealing with the consequences of decades of racing. I think he also had some heart issues where the doctors realized his heart wall so the muscle part has thickened and become stiff. The doctors said his heart could have failed at any moment and that that has been going on for years and years. Anyway, Eddy pushed the body to the absolute limit and no matter the consequences I am sure it was worth it! He won't be forgotten anytime soon.
He came along and had such a huge impact on my life as a cyclist and after all these years I'm still loving the bike!n
Axel has a 161 km./100 mile ride in Penticton, BC, every summer. About 40 kms. In there is a steep, long twisty downhill. I was with a group of guys about his age or a bit younger. Eddy, then well into his 60s, passed us outside on a sharp downhill hairpin like we were standing still - amazing bike control!
😲
Are you talking b.the grade dropping down to osyoos. My mom grew up there.Penticton is a very nice city.But eddy is the goat.
Not even debatable. The very very best. Almost incomprehensible really. 👏👏👏
Absolutely unbelievable
@@lh5717 he did use drugs
Merckx (and his kind were) was so so at best. For starters, he (and the rest) rode inferior steel bikes with inferior Campagnolo, Cinelli, 32x3X wheels, friction shifters, cage pedals, side pull brakes......, all metal. YUCK! Everything was wrong; he didn't spin. His cranks weren't 150mm. Nothing was "aero". Forget this worthless, out of it codger. Today's cyclists are the real stars.
@@phililpb Everyone did
@@CopperLabsSupport so the whole sport is a farce?
He was also exceptionally good at track racing, many wins on the track. His versatility is unrivalled.
That is not a real comparison , as in the day specialization was not common like the past decades. But what is still astounding are his 500+ victories in a good 12-13 seasons. That was 40 victories i of all kind per year in a sport where you mostly don't win..
For 12 years on average every week you 'd hear the news sentence " Eddie Merckx has won ....". Incredible ...
@@lws7394 actually yes it is! Eddy won around 20 sixes. The pussies these days cant race a whole season, and are scared of track racing.
And the time trials too. When I was a teenager he seemed to be breaking time trial records every week. A remarkable athlete.
I am a definite fan of Eddy Merckx, of course. I discovered him in 1969 (I was 11) in Paris-Roubaix where he finished second but since then I followed his career till the end in 1977 ( he just rode a few races in 1978 when he stopped ). I was impressed by his courage, his rage of winning, his "panache" and his chivalrous spirit. My greatest deception was in 1975 when he lost what should have been his 6th victory in the Tour de France, making of Merckx the absolute winner ever in this competion. He mist also a few other records, like a fourth win in the World Championship in 1973, a 4th win in Paris-Roubaix 1975 (he got a puncture 5 kms before the end and managed to catch up the group and was beated in the sprint by a great Roger De Vlaeminck) and at last he should have been the first cyclist to "break the wall" of 50 kms in an hour in Mexico. But, Merckx being Merckx, he started off too fast, willing to break the 10 and 20 kms record, using this as a loophole to reach the 50 kms. Anyway, you can't win everything of course and for many a professional cyclist it would be paramount to win even one Tour or one "monument" ! Bravissimo Eddy !
Wow! Thank you so much. What a forgotten legacy. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet and ride with Eddy when I worked in the bike industry. For a club rider, those were moments I will never forget. What a humble gentleman. I'm now 65, and every time I meet some young rider, I make sure by the end of the ride, they will know who the greatest cyclist of all time is. The cannibal.
Easy for newbies to say that mercx wouldnt beat the talent nowadays, but at the same time, the riders now would not beat mercx if they were racing in the 60s and 70s with insane long stages packed with a load of cols, shocking road conditions, heavy bikes and arduous weather conditions
Yeah, especially the material has improved a lot.
Hard men.
He raced the best. If anyone is better let them beat his record.
So damn right!
@@jl8628Cav equalled one.
2:59 the guy in the blue jersey, is Matthieu van Der Poel's grandfather. Raymond Poulidor
Great video. Thank you. I have read Half Man Half Bike a couple times now. It is amazing read. Its hard to comprehend how dominating his performances were. Absolute legend
Unless I missed it, you forgot to mention the hour record. It has been broken, but it is hard to make an apples and apples comparison of former and present records.
Agreed! Actually, it would be kind of fun if every record was connected to the gear used in it.
That would mean a lot of lists to keep updated, but honestly I would love to see Ganna racing around the Velodrome on a boneshaker.
Most of today's pros (unless they were former world class pursuiters, or are the current very best TT riders) would not even think about attempting that torturous 'record of truth'. 😉
The greatest athlete the world has ever seen. The depth and breadth of his wins in unmatched in any sport. And his legacy as a gentleman of exceptional quality remains inspiring to everyone.
Novak Djokovic is the greatest. He is STILL winning slams at 36. 23rd today. No other athelete can match his dominance.
@@fender1000100 Tennis? Good lord country club boy, that sport's not even close to the kind of athleticism of a pro-tour cyclist endures, especially at this level. Races can last up to 7 hours, in rain, snow or heat with thousand of meters climbing, cobblestone roads, 60kph speeds with broken bones and death just a twitch away. We're talking back to back racing for weeks on end for a season that lasted 10 months a year. Tennis is a great sport but please, don't compare the athletic expression to cycling, it's just not on the same level.
I recall a story about a journalist who wanted to interview Eddy, as he was training for the upcoming season. He arrived at Eddy's hotel at what he thought was a reasonable time in the morning, probably around 8AM but the hotel manager said you missed him already. He found out later in the day that Eddy had done around 300 km that day, training. So, the journalist came back the next morning and the desk informed him that indeed, he had missed Eddy again, he was already out training, another 300 km plus day... That's how you become a legend, never stop pushing yourself to best as best as you can be..
Ask him also witch drugs he used. Same as Armstrong.
His blood was on certain time so bad he need a blood transfusion
@@johank1061 which.
@@johank1061 Synthetic EPO was not even in existence way back then, not EVEN as/for a purely experimental hardcore, purely MEDICAL treatment for anemia, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease sufferers.
Now, all of the rest (blood 'doping'/packing, as done by Scandinavian cross-country skiers and distance runners at that time), the amphetamines he was accused of using, etc., I don't know.
When training I rolled out my driveway no later than 6:04 am.
What made Merckx the greatest was his insatiable hunger "to win at all costs".. .to lose was intolerable. ! .
And yet he was not an asshole, which is a rarity at that level of competition.
I've been there many times, pushing my limits to where I couldn't articulate a complete sentence. It has to do with having a peak cardio and skeletal system. However age is very real and now I listen more to my body.
I remember Eddy Merckx in tears wheen he saw his son Axel take the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. Eddy never won a medal at the Olympics (albeit because professional cyclists were not allowed at the Olympics when he was around).
Eddy was actually away in a break at Tokyo when Julien Stevens took out himself Eddy and a British rider. Eddy would have won gold if not for a dopey Dutchie.
Yes, a very, very small window for the purely Brundage dictated amateur riders to win the lottery which was the Olympic Road Race way back then (unless they were one of the 'State Pros' from the Iron Curtain countries).
Legendary stories of how sighing up for his team meant some serious Winter pre season training pain for the chosen few.
To get an idea just how good Merckx was, when he set the World hour record in 1972, he also set the 10 and 20 km records simultaneously. His record stood for 12 years and was only beaten through the use of aerodynamic accoutrements. In 1997, the UCI banned all these aerodynamic aids and the best time under the new rules was 49.7 km, only 269 m more than Merckx.
The man who beat merckx by 269 meters used a aero helmet
And on an indoor track. Sheltered from wind.........
Merckx' '72 record was set at the end of a FULL SEASON. Let me repeat : At the end of a FULL SEASON. (Look up his '72 season alone entries/wins. HOLA!) No months of specialized training. Mexico City (OUTDOOR track) was a last minute location, practice was only four days. Any questions......?
Thanks for a very good summary. I remember following him and the Tour de France on French TV in the early 1970s.
Thanks for the great history lesson Scott, well done!
Cheers Dean glad you liked it
I have been told this many times by retired pros. Before the start of any race with Merckx in it, professionals looked at each other and said, "You know we are all just here racing for second place."
Good Video. Always nice to see footage of the Greatest.
I would love to have an Eddy Merckx Century bicycle from the late 1980's with Campagnolo C Record/Delta brakes and Sigma sew ups wheels.
Thx for the retro video with some great content I've never seen. 👏👏👏
Glad you enjoyed it :)
Great video! Thank you!
Maybe expanding on the WC he won would be worth another one.
Summed it up real nice at the end. Also, his hour record has only been beaten once, and by just ten feet.
Ganna beat it recently, by a lot
@@lucasdaems1251 Ganna beat a different hour record. Only Boardman beat Eddy.
@@starkparker16in that case, my apologies!
@@lucasdaems1251 it's cool.
A great tribute to the GOAT.
Such an amazing athlete.. you did not mention the percentage of wins to races but roughly 1/3 if my memory is right… unbelievable omg
wow, young adolescent memories, great vid reflections of 69 thru 74, i "read about this in "bicycling" , it never on tv back then
...or a pitiful one sentence blurb in The New York Times (NOT even in the Sports section, no less, since it was not considered a 'sport' here in the states then 😠😠).
Eddy combined all the characteristics needed to be the best, not just good in a couple of things! In those days the athletes did not earn enough money to retire, Eddy founded his factory, and offered a job at his former team mates, not just a fantastic athlete in my opinion! Revealing was the interview with Joop Zoetemelk when the journalist asked why he didn’t overtake Eddy in the sprint after ‘sucking the wheel’, and Joop replied that it was a super performance just riding right behind EM!
Like sitting behind a MOTO!
As you can tell “the cannibal” was from another planet,,great video 😊
Anyone cycling in his era, pro or amateur were in awe of this man. The media had run out of superlatives in an Endeavour to describe his race performances. Young boys, men and older men were astounded and delighted in watching him , reading about him in cycling weekly . He was and is an inspiration for life in all sorts of different ways, because of the deep respect for him as a human being. A great man and The Greatest Cyclist of all time. No one has come even close to evoking the passion and respect he generated. Simply the Best. Head and shoulders above all.🇧🇪👍🏻 Thank you Eddy Merckx.
Fantastic Vid. The 🐐. True Legend.
The greatest...and a really decent humble bloke...
I ride a team sc. The bike has been amazing for 23 years. Today i did 4k of climb, 80 miles @ 16mph and im 65. Btw, always campy super record...
Love the aesthetics of that era of bikes
The greatest cyclist, no question. Probably the greatest athlete. His career would have gone on longer if it weren't for injury and burning himself out.
The beautiful bikes in this video!
Eddy Merckx was the ONLY European rider from the Continent to attend Tommy Simpson's funeral!
Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson
2007. William Fortheringham. I have always questioned that as being incorrect
Good summary!
I think the time frame makes me lend that the World wars had an effect. Since people wouldn't be wanting to give birth during the war efforts which would line up almost perfectly for Eddy to not have a huge populous of cyclists birthed in those years making him easier to stand out.
Another thing you forgot to mention was the hour record that he did. Which was right in the middle of his racing season whereas later on it would develop into people training specifically for that event.
I remember diving into his list of wins and notable finishes some 25 years ago when I began to take in the history of European cycling...this was in step with Armstrong’s wins at the Tour....I was already a serious young roadie at the time with maybe 5 years under my belt, and a beautiful NOS CANNONDALE 3.0 built up with Campagnolo Mirage components under my sore butt....
We cannot judge cyclings past....and that is up to and including Armstrong.....the benefits to cycling as a Worldwide sport, and a industry are immeasurable....and Competitors are born first, then shaped ....then unleashed
And I forgot to add...hearing Eddy’s accomplishments again now at the age of 47, is nothing short of incredible......and I think even Lance would find Eddy’s name falling from his mouth in answering....”who was the greatest? “
To make it short: In my humble opinion, there are four categories in pro cycling which really count. Time Trial, Climbing, Sprint, Rouleur.
Dont confuse Time Tiral with Rouleur, thats not the same. A Rouleur is a guy who can ride very fast over 100 or 200 kilometers and more without needing someone around him. Great Rouleur's are George Hincapie and Jens Voigt in their prime. Jan Ullrich was a better time trialist then Voigt, but Voigt was the better rouleur.
Merckx was imo the only rider in cycling history, who had in these four categories either a 9 or 10, there is no 8 or weaker. Not Coppi, not Indurain, not Hinault, not Anquetil, not Armstrong, and not any of todays riders has this total package.
And since he had either a 9 or 10 in those four major categories, he won so many races and is simply the GOAT.
Eddy came in 2nd in that Tour where he got punched in the ribs as the video states. You should know that bruised ribs make it painful to breathe. But also during that same race, he was rolling up to the start finish line before the start and failed to get his foot out of the toe-clip before full stopping and fell over and broke his jaw and had his jaw wired shut the rest of the race and was forced to take nutrition in a liquid no chewing form. So not only was he gifted, dedicated and smart he also was very determined!
LEGENDARY.
With relaxed testing and the “Code of Silence” will entrusted in all who joined the Pro ranks. It was safe to say, many raced with assistance. Just look at the insane racing calendar they raced, also stage distances were brutal.
En todas sus entrevistas, de ahora y de antes, me parece una persona extraordinariamente humana. Tuvo que trabajar duro para tener su primera bicicleta, porque aunque sus padres poseían una pequeña tienda de ultramarinos y podían comprársela prefirieron que supiera lo que era pelear por los sueños. El Ogro solo lo era encima de la bicicleta. Todo el mundo adora, ahora, a Eddy por todo lo que ganó. Yo le adoro por como supo asimilar tanta gloria como el chico de barrio humilde que nunca dejó de ser.
If you thought you could follow him uphill, reconsider following him downhill. He had incredible bike control. There's one moment in the 1975 Tour de France (which he lost) , where he goes downhill on the attack in the high mountains and the motors and cars are too afraid to follow him.
He held that record in track cycling Mexico at altitude until chris boardman with high tech bike helmet etc.. incredible
Forgotten about Moser?
@@DHTCF Moser had disc wheels/some limited aero benefits.
Easily the best ever. And that in a time with such strong riders he still was extremely dominant. Nothing I have ever seen (well...I never saw him actually) comes close, although Bernard Hinault comes to mind. To me Hinault is the second best rider ever. After that probably Anquetil. Might have missed someone.
One cyclist better than Merckx. Beryl Burton.
@@keirbateman267 You can't compare a female with a man. Not because females are inferior but because in female racing even today the competitionis nowhere as close as in men. But she was surely amazing regardless.
@@keirbateman267lol no
I used to stare in wonder at his hour record bike displayed in a Seattle shop. I doubt we ever see the cycling likes of him again
the Legacy trickles down like a River, the Talent that Axel has brought along
"His bodies ability to process (helpful medicines) was unmatched during his time." Some random fan on Puy - 1975
Haters always gonna hate.
His palmares. Just watching the numbers. It's still a bit of a shock every single time. And I've checked the books every year since the early 90's.
I WANT THOSE CYCLING POSTERS OF THE CLASSICS😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
Dear sweet Lord....cycling and Art Deco....it’s as good as WOMEN AND ART DECO
I thinking the same thing! Beautiful work, but I think it would look a whole lot better in my
Place!🤭
EDDY WAS THE GOAT. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT RECORD SPEAKS FOR IT,S SELF. GREAT COMMENTARY....
I am built exactly like Eddy Merckx...same height, leg/arm length etc.
Most would agree for a cyclist, Eddie had pretty skinny legs and wide hips.
What made Eddy special is what you can't see, his plumbing. Same with Secretariat.
Secretariat’s ‘plumbing’ would extend whenever he saw a female horse!
I suppose it’s possible that like Secretariat he has a larger heart. At autopsy it was determined that Secretariats heart was 4 pounds heavier than his biggest rival and pumping blood pretty important, no?
Cheers
I never knew Axel looked this much like his dad! Wow!
the legend. no fancy tech. old school gear. no fancy spandex clothing. no helmets. and some smokers to boot.
He's the Goat goat. Compare him to anyone in any sport and I've yet to see his peer.
The Goat . !
The only 'best ever' lists that have any meaning are those of riders of a given era. Merckx is undoubtedly the greatest of his era and his legacy is that there remains a dream to emulate his achievements in the modern era. He will always be a giant in the folklore of bicycle racing
While I'd agree with you for most sports, I think Merckx/cycling is the exception. He dominated his sport for many years and won so many races, often by large margins, ranging from Monuments to Grand Tours. Most Grand Tours, most Monuments, most stages, Most professional victories. Also impressive record as an amateur and on the track and the world hour record. No other cyclist comes close so in this case it's fair to say the best ever......so far.
@@pete3953 well said.
If mercx had not broke his back after his first tour win, who knows how much better he would have been. He said he was only 70% of his previous self.
Yeah, yeah, I'm calling BS on that one. Eddy, I'm only at 70% but destroy everyone, Merkxx. Almost all riders deal with setbacks.
The drugs compensated
@@benfinesilver2250 Anyone who says doping is what made Merkxx great is also misguided.
@@Requiredfields2 He was great from genetics. Surely doomed like them all though
There was a lot less competition in those days, the teams were also build around one leader. The sport was less global, less professional, and much lower level then it is today. If Eddy Merckx was born in this era he would be a rider like Wout van Aert at most.
He is one of the best ever. No doubt
3:00 great photo
If you add the careers of Fausto Coppi, Sean Kelly, and Peter Sagan I think it's roughly equivalent to Eddy Merckx
Though the war got in the way for Fausto, so he could have had a lot more opportunity.
He was best. An absolute animal!
Several years ago Merkx participated in a charity event in Marin County, north of San Francisco. By sheer good fortune I was standing in the area where his van stopped. Eddy got out of the passenger side, the side I was on. If he wasn’t busy I’d have tried to shake hands with him. But he WAS busy, prepping one of his factory’s gorgeous bikes, with the ride officially starting in only a few moments.
What impressed me most about “The Cannibal” was how compact he was, considering he humiliated every rider of his era. I’m 5’10” and 165 lb and was very close to Eddy’s size. What that said to me was the toughest athletes are possessed by an obsessively competitive nature, and in addition the inner strength that enables the rider’s physiology to withstand the unbelievable amount of punishment it is forced to endure, year after year.
While there is only one Eddy Merkx, it pleased me to learn that world beaters coming all sizes, including medium. To the 17-year-old considered too small for the football team but with a fighting spirit, I would recommend getting into bicycle racing, where the average-sized competitor has the advantage over stronger riders who weighty musculature slows them on the climbs.
... and he accomplished most of this with a bad back. He was a cycling GOD! He would dominate today!
also Grand Prix de Nations and hour record
Cavendish better lookout for a solid punch to the ribs, if, and only if, he appears to break Merckx' TDF Stage-Winning Record. Watch this space!
I don’t see how a sprinter can get punched. They win in the last 30km where the pace is so high, a spectator can’t recognize the riders…
Chavendish isn't fit to drink Merckx's piss.
He was the best of his era.
Eddy Merckx le roi des rois sans égale pour l éternité et des siecles. Merci monsieur Eddy Merckx de m avoir fait rêver que dieu vous protège vous et votre famille.
Look up the hour record in cycling!
no carbon, no disk brakes, no helmets, 19mm rims on tubulars. Just the balls to ride hard.
No; electronic shifting, fully aero road bikes/skinsuits, head units for pacing, cushy 30C tires, modern in race hydration/fueling products, etc. either!
Talent pool 🏊♀️ much deeper today.
With that said we will never know. It’s just argument after a while with no definitive answer.
Won 526 races. At one point, averaging one race win per week.
I think he would be still winning nowadays .
Only if he could find a new doctor, because his old race preparations would be easily detected now and he would be banned immediately.
I have my doubts about Pogs legality in these modern times sponsored by a team with unlimited funding . Back in Merckx day i dont think there were these supplements were there ?? Please enlighten me. i luv my cycling as a fan and a participant.
They did mind boggling amount of drugs in his era and before. More than than during controversies…cocaine, crack, amphetamines, heroin, testosterone. There were no drugs tests. They all took it. No one cared.
think again it was just not ready available .... and if he was, there was no testing for it Tommy Simpson popped him self go look
@@johnb2044 😁
@@johnb2044 Of course, the pharmaceutical industry was pretty primitive back then - just uppers, really. Not like they could turn a donkey into a racehorse like they did for LA.
@@stevemawer848 Yes, basically speed only.
The EPO hormone's genome had not even been isolated yet at that time, let alone duplicated for synthetic EPO manufacturing way back then, even by the world's top scientists.
Now blood 'packing.doping' WAS around back then, and fully undetectable (NO hematocrit tests given to winning pros or other endurance athletes), if not even NOT actually illegal then. ?
He won’t good he was brilliant 😊👍.
After all, one might ask: how God was Eddy Merckx really. I remember those years and cycling was Merckx!
he is the greate'st ever
He could do it all,never be another like him
ZERO helmet era, RAW😳
Except for when they raced in, or passed over the borders into Eddy's home land, but even then, simply a 'patent leather hairnet'. 😉
@@LS1conehead I want to place a large black and white poster in my home with The Badger or The Cannibal with no helmet, that would be RAD AF
give this man todays bikes and see
Mercx had to win to get paid, it was in his contract. I believe that he was best at the preparation, and supremely intelligent and that was the difference
3 positive tests and a dismissive attitude to doping (extraordinary considering the circumstances of Tom Simpson's death as a then team mate and contemporary) probably helped enable him to even have a career to be reflected on.
He did not win the Giro 1971 because of injuries. 1971 Gösta Pettersson from Sweden won the Giro d’ Italia. Gösta even beat Eddy in a sprint stage 1972 in the Giro.
He ate people. By far one of the greatest cannibals.
The race event calender they maintained back then alone would destroy modern riders. Please.
No mention of the positive doping tests? Uffff
He had three positives, the first highly suspect, the second for prescribed cold medicine with the banned drug not even listed on the bottle, the third which he later admitted to was late in his career when he was way past his prime.
@@jaycahow4667 I'd still say thats worth mentioning when doing a piece on how great he was🤷🏻♂️
@@michiadams Small footnote in a fantastic career...............
@@jaycahow4667 I disagree. Testing positive multiple times in a time where there were barely any (good) tests and lots of riders were on all kinds of amphetaminenes and painkillers, but never got caught, thats at least notable. I generally don't like the double standards around doping in cycling. If you doped in the 90's or early 00's your career in this world is finished. But if you did it before that like Merckx or after like Contador for example, nobody seems to give a shit. GCN won't even mention the name Armstrong anywhere in their programmes, while having Contador on as an expert. Just leaving positive tests out in a media piece about someones full cycling career doesn't reflect well on the credibility of the creator imo.
World Hour Record?
just looked up fast eddies palmares ...... he won everything ...eddie can rest easy no way that can be beaten ever !!!!
Except Paris-Tours hehehehe
Warren Barguil test positive for Covid , Giro in doubt
I’d say there are 4 male roadies who stand above others, the greatest of the great: Binda, Coppi, Merckx & Hinault. Pogacar may yet join them.
Of those, Merckx’s palmarès stands clear. In that, at least, the greatest of the greatest.
Agreed!
No Sagan?
@@lynn9744 really?
Good rider, but nowhere near their level
Watch the movie
GOAT 💯
When your bike fits you don't need a helment
No mention to the 3 times he was caught doping?
Eddie regretted the serious accident he had on the track early in his career after which he felt he was never as good
He had 275 victories, excluding team time trials, 2nd place is 162
Actually he has 445 pro wins on the road (including criteriums). According to FirstCycling, this includes 276 'UCI' victories. Starting from the youth categories, Merckx took part in around 1800 road races, winning 525 of them. Apart from that, he also won 98 track races and 2 cyclo-cross races. There is however a little mistake in the video: Merckx' 54 wins in 1971 isn't a record, as Freddy Maertens won 56 races in 1976.
Might be worth asking mark cavendish!.
Even if Chavendish won fifty stages he wouldn't be fit to lace Merckx's shoes.......tantrum throwing man-child that he is.
I'd LOVE to see Cav take that Tour stage win record this summer.
But, Cav will never win a road stage in a solo in the Tour.
Fun Q. Why did Merkcx won La Vuelta only 1 time?