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Eddy Merckx

The Cannibal

By: Daniel Friebe

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Paperback | 15 August 2012 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.9 x 12.9 x 3.0

Paperback

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The first definitive story of the greatest cyclist of all time

'The whole point of a race is to find a winner... I chose to race, so I chose to win.'

For 14 years between 1965 and 1978, cyclist Edouard Louis Joseph Merckx simply devoured his rivals, their hopes and their careers. His legacy resides as much in the careers he ruined as the 445 victories - including five Tour de France wins and all the monument races - he amassed in his own right. So dominant had Merckx become by 1973 that he was ordered to stay away from the Tour for the good of the event.

Stage 17 of the 1969 Tour de France perfectly illustrates his untouchable brilliance. Already wearing the yellow jersey on the col du Tourmalet, the Tour's most famous peak, Merckx powered clear and rode the last 140 kilometres to the finish-line in jaw-dropping solitude, eight minutes ahead of his nearest competitor.

Merckx's era has been called cycling's Golden Age.It was full of memorable characters who, at any other time, would all have gone on to become legends. Yet Merckx's phenomenal career overshadowed them all. How did he achieve such incredible success? And how did his rivals really feel about him? Merckx failed drug tests three times in his career - were they really stitch ups as he claimed? And what of the crash at a track meet in Blois, France that killed Merckx's pacer Fernand Wambst, which Merckx claimed deeply affected him psychologically and physically? Or the attack by a spectator in 1975?

Despite his unique achievements, we know little about the Cannibal beyond his victories. This will be the first comprehensive biography of Merckx in English, and will finally expose the truth behind this legendary man.

Industry Reviews

The most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known * Velo *
For readers who are after good storytelling it can t be beaten. * Cycling Weekly *
The awesome story of an extraordinary athlete. -- Mark Cavendish
A beautifully written, vivid portrait not just of Merckx, but also his era and his 'victims' * Scotsman *
Well written and well researched * Cycling World *

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Biographies & True Stories Biographies Sport Biographies Sports & Recreation Cycling

Prologue	p. 1
Folgorazione	p. 11
Something in the Water	p. 33
Fire and Ice	p. 52
Eddy, Ciao	p. 73
New World Order	p. 78
End of the World as We Know It	p. 100
Benefit of the Doubt?	p. 114
First Man on the Moon	p. 127
Down and Out?	p. 149
A New Merckx	p. 164
The Gypsy and a Nomad	p. 174
Deplumed	p. 199
If	p. 220
Hour of Need	p. 231
Sign of the Times	p. 252
Knockout!	p. 273
Cannibalised	p. 293
A Spoonful of Sugar	p. 306
Reinvention and Reappraisal	p. 321
Epilogue	p. 337
Acknowledgements	p. 343
Index	p. 345
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Eddy Merckx

The Cannibal

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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