Legends Of The Tour De France - Eddie Merckx

Eddie Merckx dominated the sport of cycling for a decade from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s in a way that no one before or since has managed to do.

He averaged a win every six days of his career. In total he was victorious in professional races 525 times, with successes in more than 35% of all the races he entered. He wasn't fussy; it could be victory in a track pursuit at a half-forgotten velodrome in Belgium or even the Giro d'Italia itself. However, like all cyclists he knew that the greatest stage was the Tour de France and it would be for his exploits in this race that we would be remembered most.

Nicknamed 'The Cannibal' because he seemed to devour his competition, Merckx was simply the best because he aimed to win every time he got on the bike. He is the only rider to win all of the classifications (overall, mountains and points jerseys) in a single year at the Tour de France (1969) and the Giro d'Italia (1968).

He has 34 Tour de France stage wins (the record) including six stages in 1969 and 1972, and eight stages in 1970 and 1974. He won the Tour in 1974, 1972, 1971, 1970 and 1969.

Using superb archival racing footage as well as exclusive interviews with Eddie Merckx himself and many of the great cyclists who rode with him, including Raymond Poulidor, Lucien van Impe and Bernard Thevenet.