Eddy Merckx celebrated his 80th birthday at home with his close family after five days of official celebrations that included an audience with the King of Belgium, interviews, book presentations and hundreds of articles that looked back at his life and career.
Social media was full of birthday wishes, photographs and videos from Merckx’s career on Tuesday, including from his son Axel and daughter Sabrina. But Merckx preferred a quiet day after all the celebrations.
“I have an appointment with the osteopath in the morning. And then I’ll take it easy,” Merckx revealed to Het Laatste Nieuws.
“The dinner with the family is already behind us. Tuesday is a work day, right? All the children and grandchildren are at work or doing school exams. Life goes on.”
Merckx avoided drinking champagne during a book presentation at Het Laatste Nieuws because he is still taking antibiotics after his winter hip replacement. True to character, he celebrated his 80th birthday but was pragmatic and conscious of his age.
“Take a metre and cut off eighty centimetres… Then there’s not much left, right,” he joked with his usual modesty and simplicity.
On Monday, he attended a book launch with many of his former teammates and domestiques from his glory years at the Faema and Molteni teams.
Merckx revealed to La Gazzetta dello Sport that he went for a 30km ride last week but is still recovering from a fall at a railway crossing in December 2024 that caused a fractured hip and subsequent total hip replacement.
“Eddy is still combative. That fire is still there. But at our age, we shouldn’t ride too fast or too far. Let’s say: 50km maximum, if the weather cooperates. That should be possible, right?” former domestique Joseph Deschoenmaecker told Het Nieuwsblad.
“Normally, we still cycle three times a week, but because of the setback Eddy had with his hip, that is no longer possible. That is what I wish for him for his eightieth birthday: that we can cycle together again soon,” Joseph Spruyt said.
On Monday, Merckx was interviewed by Belgian television and visited both Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws.
“I’m ‘amazed’ at how many people still want to know something about me. I thought they already knew everything by now. It must be that I’ve meant something after all, right?” Merckx told Het Laatste Nieuws.
In an interview with La Dernière Heure, of 30 questions from 30 different sports stars, Merckx said his ideal squad would be UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the modern equivalent of his Molteni team.
Merckx told La Gazzetta dello Sport how he bought his first bike as a schoolboy thanks to the tips he earned delivering groceries for the family shop in Etterbeek near Brussels.
He first raced at 16 and won his second race. At 20, he had already won his first of seven editions of Milan-San Remo. He went on to win 525 races, with a new authorised and intimate documentary set to celebrate his life later this year.
Merckx earned the nickname ‘The Cannibal’ after rarely letting his rivals win races. He is recognised as the GOAT of men’s cycling for his success and domination of one of the greatest eras of cycling.
In a promotional video for the documentary, Merckx is asked to describe himself in a single word. He pauses and then says simply with a smile: “A winner.’
Asked who he sees alongside him on the greatest podium of all time, Merckx names Fausto Coppi and Bernard Hinault.
“They also dominated their era, in every kind of race,” Merckx pointed out.
Asked how he wanted to be remembered, Merckx said: “As an honest, loyal rider. Someone who always gave their all to win.”
