Lelangue, Bob:
appearance 232
Belgian team, manages 253
bike factory, works at EM’s 285
closeness to EM 151
cycling career 41, 60, 232
demanding nature of EM and 234–6
directeur sportif at Molteni 2, 41, 90, 183, 231, 232–3, 234, 235–6, 237
EM’s competitive nature, on 211
EM’s retirement, on 284
Faema and 236, 240–1
Maertens and Merckx, on 253
Tour de France, 1975 and 2, 263
Leman, Eric 23, 91, 94, 96, 140, 156, 216
LeMond, Greg 208, 236, 237, 249, 290
Leopold of Belgium, King 83, 97, 98, 124, 201
Leth, Jørgen 115, 145, 147, 152, 159, 176–7, 185, 214, 215
Letort, Desiré 119, 171
Levant, Tour of the, 1969 88, 100
Levitan, Félix 180
Leyre, Marianne 16
Liège–Bastogne–Liège 29, 225, 228, 290
1967 61–2
1968 89
1969 100
1971 54, 163–4, 278
1972 183, 208
1973 213
1976 234
1977 273
Liliane of Belgium, Princess 201
Linares, José-Antonio González 143
Limburg, Tour of, 1963 42, 46
Lombardy, Tour of 40, 77, 277
1966 57–8, 68
1967 69
1971 179, 180
1972 198, 208
1973 218
1991 290
Maertens, Freddy 23, 82, 90, 91, 95, 98–9, 216, 217, 253, 256, 269, 270, 273, 288
Maes, Romain 124
Magni, Fiorenzo 80, 212
Mann-Grundig 34
Marie-Christine of Belgium, Princess 201
Martínez, Mariano 265
Mathy, Théo 87, 101, 109, 127, 145, 153, 251, 262, 267
Matignon, Pierre 123
media 2–3, 4, 72–3, 77, 82, 83, 86, 90, 91, 98, 99, 106, 153, 191, 205, 226, 261, 279, 280, 291
Mediterranean, Tour of the:
1975 254
1977 273
Meensel-Kiezegem, Belgium 18–21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 30, 84
Mendendez, Antonio 275
Mercator 288
Mercier 241
Mercier-Fagor 171
Merckx, Albert 20
Merckx, Axel (son) 83, 287–8
Merckx, Claudine (wife) 118, 124
children and 83, 140
EM first meets 40
EM not thinking about long-term effects of his actions, on 109
EM’s admiration of Anquetil, reveals 30
EM’s donations to charity, on 84
EM’s need to compete, on 279
EM’s obsessive focus, on 212, 223, 227
EM’s quietness, remembers 212
EM’s retirement, on 271, 283
Hour Record and 208
marries EM 69–70, 83
media and fans, interacts with EM’s 280
Savona affair and 102–3
supports EM’s career 70
Merckx, Eddy:
1960s 14–129
1962 amateur season 38–9
1963 amateur season 42
1964 amateur season 42–5, 292
1965 season 45–50, 292
1966 season 51–3, 57–8, 292
1967 season 58–70, 292
1968 season 55–6, 71–8, 86–9, 246, 292–3
1969 season 91–2, 100–29, 133–9, 293
1970s 131–291, 293
1970 season 125, 140–7, 149, 154, 156, 161–2
1971 season 162–77, 178–80, 293–4
1972 season 180–4, 186–93, 195–209, 294
1973 season 193, 213–19, 294
1974 season 244–5, 246, 252–4, 294
1975 season 254–68, 295
1976 season 251–2, 268–70, 295
1977 season 272–7, 281, 295
1978 season 271–2, 281–5, 295
alcohol and 133–4, 152
all-round champion 75, 185, 187, 188, 221
amateur career 15–17, 31–45, 85, 127
ambition 125, 218–19
appearance 5–6, 96, 147, 150
beatable, becomes 164–5
bike factory 285, 286, 287
bon vivant lifestyle 152–3
birth 20
broken vertebra 137, 181–3, 279
Bruxellois, status as a 83, 85–6, 88, 97, 232, 233
burned out 277–85
childhood 15–38, 110, 159, 223
childlike love of cycling 108–9, 226–7
children see under individual child name colitis 282
commitment 36, 39, 114, 259, 280
competitive nature 11, 25, 59, 90, 202, 210–12, 250, 258, 277, 279, 284, 288
concentration 35, 85, 114, 212, 220, 223
contracts 50, 62–3, 64, 65–7, 151, 280
crashes 1–4, 6, 57, 67, 136–40, 174–5, 181–3, 197, 266–7, 268, 269, 273, 280
cycling, early love of 28–32
cyst, sebaceous 247
daily routine 242–3
decline of 251–85
detail, obsession with 123, 125–6, 138, 151–2, 164, 224, 235, 255
diet 38, 70, 71, 152
directeur sportif and 232–6 see also under individual name
domination 8, 91, 109–10, 117–18, 124–5, 142, 148, 149–50, 153–4, 155–77, 252
end of sporting life, obsession with what to do after 126
fame 279–80
fans 89–91, 261–2, 291
fear of losing 4, 10, 153, 291
film footage of see under individual film name
finances 16, 25–6, 37–8, 45, 50, 56, 65–6, 67–8, 75, 85, 105, 108, 141, 226, 229, 237, 239, 240–1, 268, 278, 281
first race 15–16
first win 16
French attitudes towards 149–50, 153–4
full-time cyclist, becomes 33
health 24, 31, 39, 43, 67, 125, 136–40, 146, 213, 245, 247, 258, 269, 274, 275, 277–85
height/size 5–6, 15, 17
hostility towards 149–50, 261–2
hyperactivity 23–4
hypoglycaemia (‘the bonk’) 114, 116, 265
identity, linguistic and cultural 81–6
images of 5–6, 7, 54–5, 74, 147
injuries 1–4, 5, 43, 125, 136–40, 174–5, 181–3, 189, 197, 249, 250, 269, 279, 285, 286
insecurity 124, 126, 127, 129, 153
introvert 150
jaw, breaks 1–4, 286
la course en tête (racing style) 219–23, 238, 243, 290
legacy 289–90
loses innocence 108–9, 153
love of his métier 4, 5
lower gear, uses as amateur 39
loyalty, demands 240
major victories 292–5
marries 69–70, 83
masochism 225
media and 2–3, 4, 72–3, 77, 82, 83, 86, 90, 91, 98, 99, 106, 153, 191, 205, 226, 261, 279, 280, 291
medical examination pre-world championships, 1964 43–4, 46
military service 45, 49
motivation 7–11, 108–9
name 21, 23
need to be at peace with himself 227
need to be understood 239–40
need to prove himself, continual 37, 53, 109, 127–8, 178, 210–11, 216
nervousness 126, 150–1, 159, 207
nicknames 4, 48, 150, 223
number of races 277
offered money to lose races 105
passion 9, 10, 271–91
perfectionism 123, 125–6, 135, 138, 151–2, 164, 223, 224, 234–5, 255
position on the bike, obsession with 138, 224
popularity/public opinion of 4–5, 89–91, 97–8, 147–54, 261–2, 268, 279–80, 291
post-retirement life 285–6
professional, turns 45–6, 49, 56
race director 287
races see under individual race name races for the last time 272
racing license, first 31
racing style and tactics 6–7, 9, 34–5, 39, 90, 93, 95–6, 114, 115–16, 117, 122, 124–5, 138, 142, 148, 153–4, 184, 185, 188, 216–17, 219–23, 233–4, 238, 243, 249, 268, 269, 275, 289, 290
raises profile of sport in Belgium 97–8
recklessness/self-destruction 2, 8, 71
record 6
religion 25
retirement 29, 282–5
rivals, reaction to dominance of 155–77, 178–94
saddle boil 269–70
Savona affair 100–11, 127, 129, 143, 153, 218, 291
school 35, 37–8
sensitivity 25, 48–9, 53, 83, 151, 284
serving/team-mates and 228–50, 268
silence 212
sinusitis 273
smoking 152
souplesse (rapid) pedalling style 39
spectator punches 261, 268
sponsors see under individual sponsor name
sport, love of 24–5
stages of career 61
status changes 88
stoicism 3
style icon 7
success, effect of 279–80
supporters’ club, lack of 85
tactics 57, 70–1, 92, 94, 113, 115–16, 117, 122, 129, 142, 164, 179, 183, 187, 196, 219–23, 230–4, 238, 247, 259 see also under individual race name
team managers and see under individual manager name
threats, receives 280
total wins 16
training 7, 9, 16, 24, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 49, 70, 71, 96, 108, 110, 140, 158, 183, 199, 200, 205–6, 207, 216, 223, 232, 233, 242–4, 271, 276, 277, 280–1, 282
unable to sell himself 150
visual icon 7, 54–5
weakness after Blois crash 140–7, 153, 285
weather conditions, performance in extreme 54–6, 71, 74, 140–1, 173
weight 152–3
wife see Merckx, Claudine
willingness to shoulder responsibility 226
winning, love of 57, 108, 109, 124, 129, 149, 184, 189, 210–13, 291
winning margins 8, 37, 45, 48, 89, 121, 123, 140, 142, 146, 169, 201, 202, 204, 210–11, 269
wins first professional race 49
Merckx, Gaston 19, 20
Merckx, Jenny (mother) 108
background 20
Belgian Federation, battles after EM excluded from world championships 43–4, 46, 110
EM childhood and 16, 17, 18, 20, 21–2, 23–4, 25–8, 29
EM schooldays and 35, 37, 38, 291
EM supports 160
EM’s character, on 150
EM’s early cycling career, involvement in 38, 42, 43–4, 46
EM’s love of cycling, reaction to 29, 30–1, 32, 37, 38, 84–5, 291
EM’s marriage and 83
Merckx, Jules (father):
background 18, 20
character 26–8, 31–2, 36, 42
cycling, love of 17, 28–9
EM’s childhood and 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25–8, 29, 31–2, 35, 42, 69
EM’s marriage and 69
marries 20
participation in EM’s career 17, 31, 35
perfectionism 223
Merckx, La Rage de Vaincre (Zitrone) 85–6, 113, 231
Merckx, Marcel 20
Merckx, Maurice 20
Merckx, Michel (brother) 23, 27
Merckx, Micheline (sister) 23
Merckx, Rémy 19, 20
Merckx, Sabrina (daughter) 83, 84
Merckx-Ocaña Duel au Sommet (Terbéen) 164–5
Michiels, Guillaume 287
attention to detail, on EM’s 224–5, 235
Belgian junior championship, 1962 38
childhood, recalls EM’s 17, 18, 24, 28
competitive nature, on EM’s 211–12, 213
daily routine with EM 242–3
Derny race at Blois, EM’s crash at and 135–6, 137,
gives EM first ride for Faema 35–6
massages EM 212
Mercator, works at 288
race programme, on EM’s 278
racing career 17, 241
relationship with EM, enjoys 151
role in EM’s career 36, 70, 110, 241–2
Savona affair and 107, 108
too fat for racing, on EM being 17
Tour of Flanders, 1969 and 88
training with EM 40–1, 96, 183, 242–4
Midi Libre:
1966 57
1969 160
1971 164
1974 245
Milan–San Remo 40
1966 8, 34–5, 51–3, 57, 73, 90, 100, 213
1967 59–60
1968 72
1969 88, 91
1970 139, 140, 162
1971 162, 180
1972 182, 183, 208
1973 213
1976 269
1978 282
Milesi, Mario 151
Millar, Robert 185, 271
Miroir du Cyclisme 284
Molteni 41, 216, 248
Albani and 195
background of 162
budget 162
cohesive nature of 237
EM moves to 161–2
EM’s heavy race programme and 278
Flèche Wallonne, 1972 184
Giro d’Italia, 1971 and 163, 197
Giro d’Italia, 1972 and 187
Giro d’Italia, 1976 270
Hour Record and 198, 204
Lelangue and 233, 234, 237, 263
Michiels and 242
pulls out of sponsorship 270
team-mates at 237, 238–9, 240, 256
Tour de France, 1971 and 165, 167, 168, 170, 171, 175
Van Den Bossche at 112, 141
Vuelta a España, 1973 214
Molteni, Piero 204
Montanelli, Indro 105
Montjuich hill-climb:
1966 57
1972 198
Monty, Willy 67
Mortensen, Leif 179, 184
Moser, Francesco 205–6, 254, 256, 259, 276, 289, 290
Morbihan, Tour of, 1966 57
Motorola 287, 288
Motta, Gianni 54, 60, 68, 73, 74, 103, 198
Muer, Maurice de 168, 172–3, 181, 259, 264
Museeuw, Johan 82, 88
Muynck, Johan De 91, 109, 240
Naeye, Robert 48
Nations, Grand Prix des 160, 179
1973 218
Nicholson, Geoffrey 5, 81, 82, 159, 228, 237–8, 268, 270
‘Northern Classics’ 60, 183 see also under individual race name
Obree, Graeme 206
Ocaña, Luis 145, 260, 275, 289
A Travers Lausanne, 1971 179
accident prone 159
age 156, 159
appearance 159
Baracchi Trophy, 1971 179
becomes friend of EM 193, 194
Bic team and 160, 237, 239, 247 see also Bic
character 159–61, 180–1, 184, 258
childhood 26, 159–60
cultural identity 159–60
Dauphiné Libéré, 1971 164
end of career 193–4
Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike Page 31