MAESTRO MERCKX ? The Life of the Cannibal in Words and Images
Eddy Merckx was more than the greatest cyclist of his generation. He became a sporting icon, a symbol of determination and an enduring part of cycling history.
Maestro Merckx is not a conventional biography. It is a richly illustrated journey through the life and career of the man they called The Cannibal, told through striking quotations, personal memories, journalistic stories and a remarkable collection of archival photographs and artwork.
Authors Stefaan Van Laere and Robert Janssens approach Merckx from two very different but complementary perspectives.
Van Laere writes as an author and lifelong cycling enthusiast whose childhood was coloured by Merckx's extraordinary victories. Janssens, one of Belgium's veteran cycling journalists, followed Merckx's career at close range and offers memories and anecdotes from inside the world of professional cycling.
Together they revisit the races, rivals and defining moments that created the Merckx legend: the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, World Championships, the great Classics, dramatic crashes, unforgettable victories and fierce rivalries with riders such as Luis Ocaña, Roger De Vlaeminck, Freddy Maertens and Felice Gimondi.
But Maestro Merckx also looks beyond the results. It reveals the man behind the champion: his relentless will to win, his loyalty, his friendships, his generosity and the enormous impact he had on generations of cycling fans.
The book grew out of material originally collected for an exhibition marking Eddy Merckx's 80th birthday. When that exhibition did not go ahead, the photographs, stories and memories were transformed into this book instead.
With hundreds of images, memorable quotations and first-hand recollections, Maestro Merckx brings an extraordinary era of cycling back to life.
Because Eddy Merckx is not simply part of the past. His legend still rides with us.
For fans of Eddy Merckx, cycling history, the Tour de France, classic racing and the golden age of professional cycling.