Top 20 All Time Major Classics #2
Tour of Flanders 1969: MERCKX!
CR Timeline 1969
The year was 1969. It was the year of MERCKX and was arguably the greatest individual racing year in the history of cycling. Twenty-four year old Belgian sensation, Eddy Merckx, arrived at the 1969 Tour of Flanders with racing credentials beyond his years. His early palmares included major victories:
1966 Milan-San Remo (his first victory as a professional) |
1967 World Road Race Championships |
1967 Giro d'Italia |
1968 Paris-Roubaix |
He brought a special performance for the 1969 Tour of Flanders and left the others far behind.
Typical spring weather conditions for Flanders greeted the riders: heavy rain, gale force wind off the North Sea and cold temperatures. An aggressive early pace generated a 22-rider lead group going into the famous cobbled climb of the Ould Kwaremont . Eddy Merckx pushed the pace over the climb and did most of the work for the next 60 km. "If I have to do all the work, I can ride by myself!" he said after the race.
Merckx shattered the group
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“Are you nuts?” (Translated from Flemish)
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Merckx attacked on the Muur de Grammont and shattered the group. Into Ninove the race course turned back toward Gent and into a fierce headwind. There were still 70 km to the finish near Gent and Merckx's team director Guillaume Driessens pulled along side. He emphatically stated “Are you nuts?!? You'll die in the headwind, wait for the group!” The reply was equally emphatic, “Go ( expletive deleted ) yourself!!!” Full steam ahead, Merckx drove his lone breakaway into the wind.
Merckx alone in the wind
These were not sophisticated tactics employed today. Talent, superior conditioning, and a little anger gave the Belgian hero and all of Flanders a legendry ride. Into the finish in Merelbeke (a suburb of Gent ) Eddy Merckx completed the grand victory. He won with an advance of over 5 minutes on Italian champion Felice Gimondi and more than 8 minutes on the peloton.
SPECIAL NOTE: An angry Merckx refused to share the victory with Driessens. Merckx only acknowledged the hard work of his teammates.
| Flanders March 30, 1969 |
| 259 Km, Gent to Merelbeke |
1.
Eddy MERCKX (Bel) 6h20'00" |
2.
Felice Gimondi (Ita) +5'36" |
3.
Marino Basso (Ita) +8'08" |
Starters: 178 |
Finishers: 40 |
Average Speed: 40.890 km/h |
Return to ToC |
