The Cannibal Reveals Which Team He Would Choose in Modern Cycling and Compares Cycling Eras
Cycling legend Eddy Merckx turns 80 and there are never enough adjectives to describe him. The "Cannibal" was also celebrated with a social post by Fantacycling testimonial Philippe Gilbert , another legend of world and Belgian cycling: "An honor to spend time with a true legend", reads Gilbert's post.
Merckx also revealed in a special interview that if he were racing today he would choose UAE Team Emirates as his ideal team.
" I could easily see myself at UAE, like Pogačar," Merckx said. "It's the best team in the cycling peloton. It's also the one where the hierarchy is clearest, with a leader capable of shining on all terrains, reliable lieutenants and teammates."
Yes, but how would coexistence with Pogacar be? It would be very curious to see them race together or even against each other; in reality it is not possible, but in Fantacycling it is, by fielding them in the same team within the Legend League, which returns for the Tour de France.
But Merckx, in an interview with another Belgian champion, Johan Museeuw, admitted that he preferred the cycling of his era: 'No, not particularly, I preferred the cycling of my time. Today everything is too programmed, too calculated. Some riders spend more time training than racing. I loved the competition too much to do that.'
Asked by Tom Boonen about the secret of his many successes, Merckx revealed: '
I always started with the ambition of winning every race. For me, it was the logical state of mind to have. I had that mentality. I started from the principle that I had to prove to others that I was the best.'
