Quick Reads

One looked like a boxer on a bike, the other an invisible force. Relive the 1952 Paris-Roubaix where Rik Van Steenbergen endured the suffering of a lifetime to outlast Fausto Coppi on the stones.

Discover the story of Barry Hoban’s 1974 Ghent-Wevelgem victory. Read how he out-sprinted Eddy Merckx to become the first British winner of the Belgian classic.

In 1972, Eddy Merckx pushed himself to the brink of agony in Mexico City. Locked in a battle against his own broken body, the "Cannibal" set an Hour Record so formidable it would take decades, and a change in the rules, to truly surpass.

At 16, Eddy Merckx was already showing what was to come. A driven teenager racing through Brussels, chasing victory and proving everyone wrong.

In 1969, Walter Godefroot delivered the race of his life. In a season dominated by Eddy Merckx, the Belgian Bulldog attacked, held firm, and beat the best in Paris-Roubaix.

When Eddy Merckx was dropped from the Belgian Olympic squad in 1964, his mother Jenny refused to accept it. She uncovered corruption, challenged the selectors, and got her son reinstated. Months later, Eddy won his first world title.