Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike

Oct 19, 2024 8:41 AM

Author:William Fotheringham

THE SUNDAY TIMES NO.1 BESTSELLER

What makes a man the greatest of all time? Eddy Merckx is to cycling what Muhammad Ali is to boxing or Pelé to football: quite simply, the best there has ever been.

Merckx was a machine. It wasn't just the number of victories (445); it was his remorseless domination that created the legend. He didn't just beat his opponents, he crushed them. But his triumphs only tell half a story that includes horrific injury, a doping controversy and tragedy. He was nicknamed 'The Cannibal' for his insatiable appetite for victory, but the moniker did scant justice to a man who was handsome, sensitive and surprisingly anxious. Britain's leading cycling writer, William Fotheringham, goes back to speak to those who were there at the time and those who knew Merckx best to find out what made Eddy Merckx so invincible.

'The full unvarnished of one man’s heaven, and hell, on wheels' Independent

Reviews

Merckx - a natural champion who regularly rode himself and others into agony and glory - is a fine choice for a writer of Fotheringham's skill and cycling knowledge... A fascinating, often bleak portrait of remarkable athlete and an unnerving man.

—— Brian Schofield , Sunday Times

A fine portrait of obsession

—— Financial Times

Remarkable and impressive … everything you want to know about Merckx and more.

—— Richard Abraham , Cycling Weekly

The Cantona or Muhammad Ali of cycling, this Belgian’s story is amazing – and it’s told by one of the greatest cycling reporters around... Top Notch

—— Loaded

The full unvarnished of one man’s heaven, and hell, on wheels.

—— i, Independent

The extraordinary and definitive story of a man whose fear of failure would drive him to the highest pinnacles, before ultimately destroying him.

—— Living North

The Muhammad Ali of cycling.

—— TNT Magazine

Packed with stories of controversies, falls, secret deals and bitter recriminations.

—— John Foot , Times Literary Supplement

Scrupulously researched.

—— Graham Robb , Guardian

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