The "new" Eddy M.
 

Saw this photo posted another forum. Looks like maybe Eddy's getting ready to race again. Nice frame, too!

Getting ready to race where? Do you have a link to the gossip?

Koffee

As Jesus would probably say, "Oh My Dad!" That's one hell of a beautiful frameset!

Oh... and yeah, Eddy does look like he's dropped some weight. ;)

Interesting note: the 2005 season will see the new Davitamon-Lotto team (combination of 2004 Lotto and Bodisol teams) on Ridley bikes. Everybody exept Axel. He's got special permission to ride his dads framesets. Seems they don't want to loose the Olympic gold medalist but I don't recall having seen something like that - one rider on a bike brand different from his teammates.

Nah! But it sure would be cool to see him race in a Masters race, though. The way he's looking in that photo I bet he could kick some serious butt!

I guess I'll wait until Interbike. If he's there, I'll ask him myself.... or at least one of his friends that works with bike building in Italy.

Koffee

Yes, I also will wait to ask Eddy in person if he looks like he might be getting ready to race again or I'll ask some italian guy.

Wow, he looks to be in excellent shape. Good for him! The man is one of my idols.

He's lost a lot of weight, looks great!

In an interview for the Belgian media, Merckx declared that he is not ill (because there were rumours) but that his doctors advised him to loose wait for the sake of his future health.

He lost an incredible amount of weight for the amount of time he did it in, didn't he?
I thought I saw a picture of him just last year where he looked twice the size as that picture in this thread.

Tour de France
Wants to take the record back

Here is his, really big!

I cannot remember what ride that was...
But in the picture you posted, I think he ate a small Spanish climber before he came out to ride.

... and I just looked at the first posted picture at full size... and... holy crap.

well, i'm glad to see he's in better shape. it's just weird to see one of the world's greatest athletes let themselves go like that.

Bump

http://www.velonews.com/images/report/7067.9484.f.jpg

He looks great.

Gimondi is another 60's cyclisimo that is in good shape (never got out of shape, I think).

I saw a picture of him and his son at interbike and could not believe it was him. It was actually hard to recognize him. He looks healthy now.

I'm so relieved to see Eddy trim down. I just never felt the universe was quite "right" with him so large. It just wasn't the way things should be.

He certainly inspires me in my own attempts to loose lots of weight!

DId he do the south beach diet? I saw that photo of him last whwere he was really big, it was at some charity race with Axel and he was really tubby. NOw he looks like he could do the tour again! Now that he's thinner, you can see he resembles axel a lot more, except for axel being tall and skinny. But same face.

Most of the ex champs have stayed trim. You can't expect to be at your racing weight when you retire, of course. BUt I remember seeing Federico Bahamontes when they showed the tour last year and he still looks pretty trim. I remember Phil and Paul commenting that except for his gray hair he looked the same.

Very reassuring for those of us that have made riding a part of our lives.
As long as I am able, I will ride. Now it looks like he means to also.
Good job Eddy.

I bet he would have still owned all of us even when he was overweight!

Yes, he'd likely kick some very serious butt. I once rode with him (quite a number of years back) when he wasn't as fat as in some photos here, but far from the lean person he appears to be now. Even with what had to be at least 25-30 extra pounds of body fat, he was pulling along just fine at 30 mph, a tempo he easily held for a few miles. Although we all know his palmares, I still marveled at him so easily maintaining that pace many years and and a substantial number of pounds later. (Now, if only I could find that $20 traveler's check he autographed for me. :()

He was always incredibly strong. THat's something you notice in most of the multiple grand tour winners- they are just hugely strong like oxes. I have only seen footage of eddy doing the tour ,but it seemed as if he were pulling the bike along, as if it wasn't going fast enough for him.

Sounds like a great story, Id love to hear the rest of it (IE how you managed a ride with him!)...