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SportCycling
NameEddy Merckx
SubtitleLucky Seven
Number02-19
Info"This has to be my sweetest victory", said Eddy Merckx, a lump in his throat, as he spoke to reporters at the finish line of the Milan-San Remo race. It was March 19, 1976, and Merckx had just won the race. After his unexpected defeat in the 1975 Tour de France, there had been talk that Eddy Merckx was finished. But this latest victory confirmed the fact that he was still Number 1. More important, it broke a record that had long seemed unbreakable, the one set by Costante Girardengo of Italy, who won the Milan-San Remo six times between 1918 and 1928. Merckx's 76 win was his seventh since 1966 and it set a new "unbreakable" standard for future cyclists. After his first victory at the age of 20 in 1966, Merckx only missed two races—in 1973 and 1974, because of illness—and he lost only two others. In 1968 he was forced to withdraw from the Paris-Nice stretch because he was out of shape. This enabled West Germany's Rudi Altig to earn that country's only victory in the race. Merckx had to settle for 31st place. But in 1969, he came in 12 seconds ahead of fellow Belgian Roger de Vlaeminck, after launching his victory drive at the summit of Poggio de San Remo, the last difficult stretch of the race. In 1970, Merckx took 8th place in a race dominated by Michele Dancelli of Italy, who reached the finish line 1:39 ahead of the pack, after a 42-mile (70 km) sprint. It was the first time in 17 years that the Italians won the Milan-San Remo race. Merckx bounced back the following year, beating Felice Gimondi of Italy by 30 seconds, again pumping hard just before Poggio, then widening the gap decisively during the descent into San Remo.
Photo InfoEDDY MERCKX Born June 17, 1945, in Meensel-Kiezegem, BEL AWARDS AND RECORDS Milan-San Remo Victories 1966: 1. Merckx (B), 2. Durante (I), 3. Van Springel (B) 1967: 1. Merckx (B), 2. Motta (I), 3. Bitossi (I) 1969: 1. Merckx (B), 2. de Vlaeminck (B), 3. Basso (I) 1971: 1. Merckx (B), 2. Gimondi (I), 3. Petterson (S) 1972: 1. Merckx (B), 2. Motta (I), 3. Basso (I) 1975: 1. Merckx (B), 2. Moser (I), 3. Sibille (F) 1976: 1. Merckx (B), 2. Panizza (I), 3. X (Vandenbroucke (B) disqualified) The leader of the pack
Copyright© 1977, Editions Rencontre S.A., Lausanne Photo Presse-Sports-Explorer Printed in Japan 03 005 02-19
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