Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #380276 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Customer Reviews

A fitting testimonial to a legend
This book is about much more than cycling. In a lot of ways, Merckx was the ultimate sporting hero: all-conquering but quiet and enigmatic, to the public a compelling but often distant figure. The complexities which go to make an athlete of this calibre are carefully teased out by Rik Van Walleghem, who has done an incredible job of balancing an in-depth analysis of Merckx's personality and psychology, with exhaustive lists of his achievements as a cyclist.
The book never wears rose-tinted glasses. The darker areas of Merckx's career are treated frankly; and the interviews don't pull punches.
A quick word too for the translation - by Steve Hawkins - which has produced a very readable book, and manages to give the impression that the original was written in English, a very good sign.

This book sums up the legacy of Merckx perfectly.
Eddy Merckx's life has been documented extensively in innumerable books. This book is a visual trip through his career, beliefs and life. I was struck reading this book at the enormity of the man and the sheer willpower it took to accomplish day after day the things he did. It shows the attitudes Merckx held that made him so good, and fairly documents the trials of staying on top for so long. I own this book, and will recommend it to anyone who wants to find the elements of success embodied in one man's life.

Simply the best
The best cycle-pro the world has seen has got one of the best sports-biography yet published. It's not so much about the races in there, but much about the man. And for the statistic-mineded; It's enough for us too. Hopefully the authors excellent book about the Tour of Flanders can also be translated to english....