Merckx '69 | Cycling Art Print

Merckx '69 | Cycling Art PrintOn the 15th July, 1969, Eddy Merckx scored perhaps his greatest triumph. Riding in his debut Tour de France, Merckx already in yellow attacked early. He rode for 140km alone through the Pyrenes feared Circle of Death, across the Col de Peyresourde, Col d'Aspin, Col du Tourmalet and the Col dAubisque. He won the stage by an incredible eight minutes, and the era of Merckxissimo was born.

Twice winner of the Tour de France and five-time winner of the Giro d'Italia

these are four of the greatest victories of all time

2023 is MvdP's year of chasing rainbows

and the era of Merckxissimo was born

Merckx was out of form and suffering from a broken vertebrae sustained in Paris-Nice

le Géant de Provence

and as the race hits the high mountains the riders are at the mercy of the fickle weather

alone into the thin crisp

never more succinctly put than in this classic quote

rises rises through some of the most stunning landscape in all France

and one by one his rivals crumbled in the face of his attack

panic spread