Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike

"Half Man, Half Bike" is another one of the books I read in my cycling biography phase. This one falls somewhere between "Sex, Lies, and Handlebar Tape" (about Jacques Anquetil) and "Slaying the Badger" (Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault). While not as captivating as the latter, it is much better than the former. Eddy Merckx was always to me a revered name in cycling with one of the most incredible resume of victories. Before this book, however, I knew little of the man. He was from Belgium, spoke Flemish rather than French, won the Tour de France five times, the Giro d’Italia five times, and Vuelta a España as well as numerous of the so-called classics, and generally ruled the cycling world in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the kind of show more cyclist who rode the last six days in the 1975 Tour de France after he fractured his cheek bone in a crash all the while knowing he could not catch the first-place rider. His nickname was the Cannibal for his relentless, take-no-prisoners desire to not only win, but destroy his opponents. The only explanation he can give for this his insatiable desire to win is, “Passion, only passion.” I recommend this to anyone interesting in learning about the greats in cycling or someone who is interested in what drives a successful athlete or person. show less