Eddy Merckx at the 2016 Tour of Oman (Sunada)
Belgian cycling great Eddy Merckx left the Tour of Oman, which he co-organises, overnight on Monday after hearing his former national coach and father-in-law had died.
Merckx was coached by Lucien Acou before going on to dominate cycling in the 1960s and 1970s. Through his coach, who was 94, he met his wife Claudine.
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Knog Blinder 1300 review - excellent visibility for you and other road usersSolid performance, great mounting options and a respectable price point make the Blinder a great competitor for long nights this winter
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'Such a nice guy to break my record' - Eddy Merckx congratulates Mark Cavendish on his historical achievementGreatness recognizes greatness, and there is absolutely no respect lost between cycling legends Eddy Merckx and Mark Cavendish.
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Eddy Merckx 'wouldn't have had a problem' with Cavendish beating his Tour de France stage victory recordThe 'Manx Missile' equalled the great Belgian's record at the Grand Boucle as he won four stages
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'He turned pro too early': Eddy Merckx just can't stop commenting on EvenepoelThe cycling legend has happily voiced his opinion on the young Belgian multiple times during the rider's short career
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'My respect and appreciation for him is enormous, apparently is not mutual': Remco Evenepoel responds to Eddy Merckx's commentsMerckx recently spoke out against the young Belgians selection for the World Championships road race
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How they used to train: Eddy Merckx’s pre-1969 Tour de France weekHow the Cannibal trained to get ready for his first Tour de France win in the 1969 edition of the race
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'Doctors don't know what happened' as Eddy Merckx continues recovery from fallThe Belgian is still not yet one hundred per cent better after his accident in October
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Eddy Merckx suffered haemorrhage during crash and will remain in hospital for next few daysThe 74-year-old was taking part in his regular Sunday bike ride with friends before falling
