eddy-merckx Stories - Podium Cafe
Fall From Grace, by Freddy Maertens
Thirty-three-and-a-third years ago (which, I think, is some kind of record) Belgium's Freddy Maertens won the Vuelta a España. Although ‘winning' hardly describes his achievement. As well as taking home the leader's jersey and the points' jersey, Maertens bagged thirteen of the...
The Sweat of the Gods: Myths and Legends of Bicycle Racing, by Benjo Maso
And so another Tour de France draws to a close. The excitement of three weeks of racing gives way to reflection. Old myths are already being reappraised. New myths have already been defined. Some traditions have been defied. Some traditions have been reasserted. But how do the sport's myths and...
Emperor For a Week
In April, 1962, Belgian classics ace and world champion Rik van Looy enjoyed possibly the greatest week in the sport's history. On Sunday, April 8, van Looy outkicked Michel Van Aerde and Norbert Kerckhove to win the Tour of Flanders. Four days later, he won his third and last Gent-Wevelgem. The...
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