Subscribe to Outside Magazine
advertisement
Survival Guru

Today's Question
What should you do if you run into a cougar in the backcountry? answer

What is the number one backcountry skill people should learn? answer

Eco Adventurer

Today's Question
What are the five best environmental movies of all time? answer

What are the greenest colleges? answer

Videos Ask Dave
  • What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer
  • Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer
  • How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries
save this page print this page email this page
  • share this page

Outside Magazine, July 2004

2004 Tour de France: The Ultimate Guide
Living Legends

By Andrew Taber


Eddy Merckx | Bernard Hinault | Miguel Indurain

Tour de France Eddy Merckx
(Pressesports/Abaca)
Eddy Merckx (Belgium)
Age: 59
Tour Wins: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974
Wore Yellow: 96 days
Nobody devoured more foes than Eddy Merckx. Perhaps the greatest cyclist ever, "the Cannibal"—a six-foot, 165-pound powerhouse—was uniquely lethal in all disciplines, from time trials to mountain stages. In 13 years, Merckx won an astonishing 476 pro races (402 more than Lance Armstrong), taking not just five Tours de France but also five Giros d'Italia and seven Milan–San Remos. Since 1980 he's headed the Belgium-based Eddy Merckx company, which builds racing bikes favored by pros like his 31-year-old son Axel. Why didn't you win six? "My career was about winning as
Tour de France 2004
CLICK HERE for Outside’s Guide to the 2004 Tour de France, follow the race July 3-25 with our SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE.
many races as possible—not about winning as many Tours de France as possible." Is that a dig at Lance's near-total focus on the Tour? "Not at all! We're from different cycling generations. I was the best of mine, and he is the best of his." Will Lance win again? "Of course. And it will be sweet revenge. When he fell sick, Cofidis [Armstrong's former team] cut his contract and pushed him out the door. It was scandalous."

Next Page:

 
Eddy Merckx | Bernard Hinault | Miguel Indurain

• Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!
• Give the gift of Outside Magazine!
• Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.