Eddy Merckx in love with Maspalomas

There are opinions that are worth remembering, and making them known, and even more so over time if you remember them with affection, and especially if it is from a super world champion, declared the best of all time. I have been lucky enough to interview our protagonist on two occasions, where at the time, he predicted a great future for a young runner, who over time became another great international champion, such as Miguel Indurain.

 

The first interview I did with Eddy Merckx was in the house of an excellent person, helpful and selfless as he was, and that is Juan Morales, lovers of sports and cycling, tennis, etc., in an atmosphere of good friendship with toasts. , comments, dialogue, there was also apart from Juan Morales, the cyclists Eddy Merckx, the Avila native Julio Jiménez, the Belgians Paul Dispaepe – serious and worthy rival of the Spanish Guillermo Timoner -, the former European champion chase after motorcycle on the track in the years 1960, 61, 63 and 64, in addition to achieving four second places in this same specialty in the world championships, after the Mallorcan runner. The other cyclist present at said meeting, and attentive to the talk he had with Eddy Merckx, was the Belgian Maurice Mollin, who was the winner of the Leija - Bastogne - Leija test in 1948, achieving third place in the same year. prestigious test of the Desgranga Colombo Cup.

 

 

Once the people present on that afternoon had commented on a fabulous atmosphere between toasts, comments and stories to remember, we went with our protagonist where Eddy Merckx, who was in love with Gran Canaria, - he was on our island on three occasions - came to rest and enjoy from the sunny southern area, while taking bike rides on Gran Canaria roads with several friends, and all the visits to our island, the first was on his honeymoon, in 1967, in Maspalomas, the second came to train in 1970, and the last one was in December 1990, spending Christmas with his family, every time he stayed in Maspalomas. With him we toasted the beginning of the new year, at said meeting with several friends present, and with the intention of seeing each other again later.

 

Eddy Merxkc was born on June 17, 1945. He was the eldest of three brothers in a family that ran a fruit shop in the Belgian neighborhood of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. During his childhood he practiced several sports: basketball, boxing, soccer, table tennis... But none marked him like cycling. He had his first bicycle when he was four years old and then he knew that he wanted to be a cyclist, despite practicing several sports. For Eddy, his hero was the also Belgian Stan Ockers. At the age of eight, he was already riding his bike to and from school every day. 

 

He performed for more than ten years as a professional retiring in 1978, but it all began in July 1961, he registered for his first race as a cyclist in Leken. After achieving his first great sporting success was with the World Amateur Championship in 1964, he then decided to make the leap to professional cycling, with the Solo-Superia team, he also participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964.

 

He was in the following professional groups: 1965: Solo-Superia; 1966-1967: peogeot-BP; 1968-1970: Faema; 1971-1976: Molteni; 1977: Fiat France and 1978: C&A.

 

He has won a gold medal and world road champion four times, the first in 1964 amateur (Junior), in Sallanches; and three in professionals 1967 (Heerlen); 1971 (Mendriso); 1974 (Montréal). Winner of 5 Tour de France; 5 Giro d'Italia, and 1 Cycling Tour of Spain. In short, we could fill pages and pages with all the victories achieved in so many races.

 

The first interview that I gave almost in its entirety began with the first question, although later there was another one outside the island:

 

-Once again in Gran Canaria?

 

-Yes, of course I come to Gran Canarias to rest because the weather is very good. There is a lot of sun and I also really like Gran Canaria. This is the third time I've come and I can't get enough. What's more, I hope to return more times. What I lack is time to do it. The first time was unforgettable, since it was on the occasion of my honeymoon. He would then return three years later with a teammate to prepare for the season. This third time I have come to rest.

 

-Are you as successful as a businessman as you were in your time as a cyclist?

 

-I have a factory with forty people and I hope it continues to do well, as it has until now.

 

-Currently, how do you continue cycling as a businessman, cyclist or as simple fans?

 

-A little of everything. I also go out with my son on Sundays.

 

-What role do you play in cycling, apart from manufacturing bicycles?

 

-I have been an advisor to the Belgian Federation for five years, directing the professional team in the World Championship.

 

-What difference do you notice between cycling in your time and today?

 

-There's no difference. Just that men are different. Before it was Merckx, and now there are others.

 

-However, in the machines there are differences...

 

-Yes, big changes have been experienced there. Especially in the technique, which has changed for the time trial stages with the bicycles that are used now.

 

-Why did you race the Tour and the Giro so many times and only once the return to Spain?

 

-First, because the sponsor was Italian, so he cared more about the Giro and the Tour. And of course doing the big three in the same year was too much. I only did it once, in 1973, when I won the Vuelta.

 

-In a Giro it was declared positive and you had to abandon... What really happened?

 

-Nothing, I didn't take anything. What happened is that that Giro had to be won by an Italian, nothing more. Two days before I had a checkup and it was normal. Possibly the “mafia” was to blame.

 

-Are you still training?

 

-Yes Yes. Today I did 60 kilometers. We went to Cercado de Espino. During this year, I will have covered about 1.660 kilometers. Whenever the weather is good I go out for a walk.

 

-What do you think of the current Spanish cyclists?

 

-There are very good cyclists in Spain, Indurain, Lejarreta, Gastón, Delgado... I especially like Indurain, who I see as having a great future.

 

Eddy Merckx gave us advice for kids starting out. “A lot of will and seriousness in training and having physical conditions.”