donrhummy

Sorry hadn't seen your post before and I think this deserves its own thread.

OK, so it's 1969 and Merckx had been ejected from the Giro for a suspect doping violation that he denies to this day. (Wikipedia - He argued that there were no counter-experts nor counter-analysis available and that some foreign supporters hated him. Further, he stated that the stage during which he was allegedly using drugs was an easy one for everybody, so there was no need to use any drugs.) So he started the TDF on a mission. By stage 17, he easily had the Tour sewn up.

On stage 17, a 214 km stage from Luchon to Mourenx, Merckx attacked hard on the Tourmalet with 130 kilometers (81 miles) left! He defeated the nearest riders by 8 minutes despite riding the entire 130 km alone and defeated his rivals by almost 15 minutes! It was not until years later that Merckx told the true story of why, with the race already in hand, he chose to ride a 130 km solo attack.

Just prior to stage 17, Merckx had learned that his teammate Martin Van den Bossche had accepted an offer to join a rival team (to start, of course after the TDF). This obviously created a conflict of interest, as Bossche might be inclined not to ride his future team into the ground and defeat. Merckx said he decided to humiliate Bossche on "his favourite terrain" where Bossche was looking for mountain points. Merckx later said he regretted his decision but it turned into perhaps the greatest ride in TDF history.

(And it is an odd piece of history that Floyd did his ride on stage 17 as well and also gained about the same amount of time, AND that the reports from that 1969 TDF also critized Merckx' rivals for not working together and for none of them wanting to take the risk themself in chasing down Merckx)

splytz1

CrimsonKarter21

Cool story and picture. Thanks.

Keith99

Actually he won the 69 Tour by 17'54". Doubtful that Martin VandenBosche cared much about mountian points as he finished out of the top 3 in that category. In any case Eddy taking off hardly hurt him in htat aspect as Martin was second over that peak and would have had more freedom to pick off points on the next. Also from a tactical standpoint having a loyal VandenBosche in the chasing group would be very important. If Eddy tries to outride 6 riders and they catch and pass him he could be in big trouble losing significant time all the way to the end of the stage. But with a loyal teammate in group he would instead of working alone be working with the freshest man on the road.

Finally it seems a bit strange that Eddy would follow him to Moltini just one year later if he was so upset.

Frunkin

There was a new kid at my place of employment yesterday. I looked at his name tag, Keifer Merckx. I ask him, and he says yes, he is related to the great eddie merckx himself. I thought that was pretty cool

CrimsonKarter21

Buy him dinner or something, that's cool.

Revtor

so uuuhh. which one is Eddie?

~Stv

el twe

Molteni team.

Trsnrtr

Uhhhh, the one who has his picture of himself on the head tube of his bike.

ElJamoquio

Check out the 'Brooklin' spelling on the shorts...

donrhummy

It was Eddy himself who said that he did it to get back at Bossche and to take mountain points from him. And it WAS a risk to go 81 miles early since there were 4 tough climbs still ahead and going one man against the Peleton could potentially have left him burned out and the peleton passing him and taking chunks of time.

donrhummy

REALLY cool pic. Got any more of Merckx?

splytz1

Heh. I got it from Ray Dobbin's site, which, if anyone here hasn't been, they should - it's nuts.

Clink the links in the text below the photos to see the photos of Merckx.

https://www.raydobbins.com/molteni_re...ni_replica.htm

ratebeer

Are there any weight weenies here that drill out there equipment?

donrhummy

WOW. What attention to detail!