Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike

What makes someone the greatest of all time? In cycling, the answer is simple: Eddy Merckx. He’s the sport’s Muhammad Ali, its Pelé — the rider who didn’t just win, but dominated with a ferocity that earned him the nickname The Cannibal.

Merckx racked up an unbelievable 445 victories, but the numbers only tell part of the story. He crushed rivals, rewrote expectations and pushed himself so hard it bordered on self‑destruction. Behind the legend, though, was a far more complex man — handsome, sensitive, anxious, and carrying the weight of horrific injuries, tragedy and a doping scandal that nearly broke him.

In this gripping biography, Britain’s leading cycling writer William Fotheringham digs deep into Merckx’s world, speaking to teammates, rivals and those who knew him best. The result is a raw, unfiltered portrait of a champion who lived through both heaven and hell on two wheels.

If you want to understand what true greatness looks like — and what it costs — this is the definitive story of Eddy Merckx.