Merckx tells it how it is

[CyclistAbi]

In his defence he couldn't just say himself will take the win. He was being polite.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

lol, he couldn't have said there are 4 favorites? He couldn' have let either Evenepoel or Pogacar out? He had to leave the actual biggest favorite by a landslide out?

I don't think he's the biggest Roglic fan. And he loves Pogacar, so...

It's not a big deal to me. For me Roglic is just one out of a number of favorites. I'm backing Evenepoel myself. Could be a 2019 repeat for Roglic. 2 back to back wins in Italy then also, followed by a less than dominant performance in Il Lombardia, a much longer race.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Considering Pogačar is his son obviously he won't favour Roglič (publicly).

 

[CyclistAbi]

Eddy Merckx: I’m a big fan of Remco, let that be clear

Cannibal explains why he was critical of fellow Belgian

www.cyclingnews.com

The mob made him acknowledge his other son.

 

[Big Doopie]

Revisionist history by the blowhard in chief:

"If you take him, it can’t be as a domestique. That was, in fact, my message in that article.”

Pre-race, he specifically criticized Remco for not being a team player and said he should be left off the team. And that Wout should be the sole leader.

Now, apparently, it was all bad tactics and that what he was "really" saying was that they should take Remco and use him as plan B in the last 30 kms.

Hysterical.

what an absolute a$$.

have you ever noticed how often the real "killer" pro athletes end up not being such very nice people. compare michael jordan, for example, to charles barkely. now compare merckx to poulidor or even thevenet. i think that to become the athlete they are/were, it means that they are required to be hard-wired to be a$$holes.

 

[Extinction]

Revisionist history by the blowhard in chief:

"If you take him, it can’t be as a domestique. That was, in fact, my message in that article.”

Pre-race, he specifically criticized Remco for not being a team player and said he should be left off the team. And that Wout should be the sole leader.

Now, apparently, it was all bad tactics and that what he was "really" saying was that they should take Remco and use him as plan B in the last 30 kms.

Hysterical.

what an absolute a$$.

have you ever noticed how often the real "killer" pro athletes end up not being such very nice people. compare michael jordan, for example, to charles barkely. now compare merckx to poulidor or even thevenet. i think that to become the athlete they are/were, it means that they are required to be hard-wired to be a$$holes.

While I'm always gobsmacked how one such as he has come up with some outrageously outlandish remarks on today's cycling, as if he doesn't realize it is impossible to race/win all the classics, grand tours, many secondary races, the six-days, etc., as he was able to achieve in his day; he's not the complete a-hole you are making him out to be. Sure he is egotistical, but you have to be to get those kind of results. Several years ago RAI television did a two-part tribute/interview of Eddy conducted by Lauro Bulbarelli with Gimondi, Beppe Conti, Philippe Brunel, Vittorio Adorni, in which the Belgian showed a sensitivity and gratitude (for example towards the mechanic Vincenzo Dimonte) often unseen.

 

[Pantani_lives]

Winning was easy for him. He had the brains of Lomme Driessens and the legs of Eddy Merckx.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I actually like Remco. I just happen to enjoy taking a dump on him publicly every chance i get, more.

 

[CyclistAbi]

If you are the original Eddy Merckx and they ask you all your life on who the next Eddy is. You likely feel you have responsibility to try to get it right. Now i can understand on why some fell offended Merckx choose Pogačar. But on the other hand it just shows he takes the selection seriously.

As for his relationship with Evenepoel. I feel that it will always be there. They will always have a strong relationship.