Merckx: Half mens, half fiets

by William Fotheringham, Gorik de Henau (Translator)

William Fotheringham ontrafelt het mysterie achter de grootste renner aller tijden

Eddy Merckx is de beste wielrenner ooit. Hij koerste als een machine die geprogrammeerd was om te winnen. Tijdens zijn professionele carrière kwam Merckx in totaal 445 keer als eerste over de streep. Maar het was niet die fenomenale zegereeks die de legende Merckx deed ontstaan, het was zijn brutale dominantie. Hij versloeg zijn tegenstanders niet, hij verpulverde ze.

Zijn triomfen vertellen maar de helft van een levensverhaal waarin ook tragiek, vreselijke verwondingen en een dopingaffaire een rol spelen. Hoewel Merckx ‘de Kannibaal’ werd genoemd, doet die bijnaam geen eer aan de knappe, gevoelige en verrassend bezorgde wielrenner die hij was. In Merckx. Half mens, half fiets beschrijft wielerjournalist William Fotheringham waarom Merckx onoverwinnelijk was. Dit is het verhaal van een man wiens faalangst hem tot topprestaties inspireerde, alvorens hem te vernietigen.

Genres: Cycling, Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, Autobiography, Bicycles, Fitness

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2012

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody with even a passing acquaintance of cycling as a sport has probably heard of Eddy Merckx. Anybody who has an interest in the sport will also know that Merckx was the greatest cyclist the sport has had – 'The greatest there is; the greatest there was; the greatest there ever will be' to steal (and change) a line from Bret Hart. What I didn't realise until I read this book was quite how great that great was. That such a cyclist doesn't seem to have written an autobiography, let alone had it translated into English, seems like a great oversight. An oversight that William Fotheringham and Daniel Friebe both seem to have decided to resolve; both releasing their own biographies of Merckx in the same year. I'm sure I'll read them both eventually but, due to some birthday book vouchers last year, I got to read Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike first.

Covering the full range of Merckx's career – from his early amateur races when other riders would often not bother turning up when he rode; the first rider (and still only?) to win the amateur world championship and the professional world championship (which he won three times); winning the Tour de France and the Giro in the same year – three times no less – even taking all the jerseys; through his career changing crash; and ending with his retirement. His win rate was prolific, according to Wikipedia he won at least 25% of the races he entered for seven straight years, peaking at 45% in 1971. Numerous times in the book, Fotheringham explains how Merckx charged off to win races that he clearly didn't need to, just because he could. Although Fotheringham's journalistic background shows through in what is a hugely researched and fact rich book, he does manage to stop it being a dry read, although this is more due to his choice of source material than his prose per se. What he does do though is step back and let the story tell itself around the facts and figures.

I thought I knew a bit about Merckx, although he was a little before my time (he retired before I was 10). I was a cycling fan – I'd read articles about the man before. But I'd barely scratched the surface of either the races he won or the depth of his career. A must read for any fan of cycle sport, now I need to snag a copy of Friebe's Eddy Merckx: The Cannibal and read that too...

[Martin Mccann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Friebe's The Cannibal immediately prior to reading Fotheringham so naturally my instinct is to compare the 2- generally both books come to more or less the same conclusions regards Merckx, what drove him etc. Fotheringham does have the advantage of actually having interviewed Merckx himself although this turns out to have been in 1997.
As a summary of Merckx's career, this is well structured and draws on a wide range of interviews from those who worked with or against The Cannibal. There is plenty here to amaze and educate those not lucky enough to see the man when he qctually competed and it shows why it is not simple hyperbole to describe Merckx as the greatest cyclist ever. To be honest if I had to choose between Friebe and Fotheringham I would find it difficult-they complement each other well in that they go into different levels of detail on different epsiodes so something Fotheringham mentions in passing is dealt with more expensively by Friebe and vice versa. So neither is fully definitive on its own but still stand as useful and illuminating.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Fotheringhamin "Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike" (Yellow Jersey Press, 2012) on onnistunut elämäkerta belgialaisesta kilpapyöräilijästä, jota voidaan suurella syyllä pitää paitsi kaikkien aikojen parhaana pyöräilijänä, myös yhtenä suurimmista urheilulegendoista kaikki lajit huomioonottaen.

Merckx voitti 1960- ja 1970-luvulla voitti melkein kaiken mahdollisen ja vielä useampaan otteeseen. Lisäksi hän saavutti tunnin ajon maailmanennätyksen vuonna 1972. Ei siis ihme, että kilpakumppaneille Kannibaali-lempinimellä tunnettu kaveri oli melkoinen mörkö, eikä ylivoima riemastuttanut suurta yleisöäkään. Se ei silti estänyt monia yrittämästä Merckxin lyömistä (itse asiassa tätä harrastettiin myös kirjaimellisesti, väkivaltaisessa mielessä), ja muun muassa dramaattiset taistelut espanjalaista Luis Ocanaa vastaan jäivät monen mieleen.

Fotheringham on kirjoittanut muitakin hyviä pyöräilyaiheisia elämäkertoja, eikä tämä ole poikkeus.

[Raja Ram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched book providing a detailed insight into this great cyclist. Merckx was before my time so this was a journey into the relatively unknown. What I learned was amazing. this guy truly dominated the sport. I know about Hinault, Lemond, Indurain, Armstrong. Merckx was head and shoulders above. His obsession to entertain, to perform in every race, to allay his fears, to push himself at every opportunity was fascinating. He took the definition of selfishness, of dedication to his profession to the ultimate extreme blind to the toll it was taking.

Drugs were touched upon but thankfully this book did not try and apply hindsight and the modern day lens to the issue. it just wasn't relevant.

A good read.

[Sean Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike, William Fotheringham passionately brings Eddy Merckx's competitive career to life which provides an interesting, and sometimes bleak, portrait of obsession, the endless desire to win and the fear of failure. Eddy Merckx was portrayed by the sporting media as an impenetrable machine, yet Merckx was a man who was deeply insecure about the potentiality of failure, a 'chronic fear' as Fotheringham puts it. This insecurity subsequently turned Merckx into a remarkably fine-tuned athlete of elite physical and mental strength, unbeatable in his prime in an unforgivingly brutal endurance sport. Not only is this book a solid biography of a cycling legend, it is a fine study into the mind of an athlete, what drives them, where that willpower, that superhuman endurance and elite mental strength comes from.

[Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one without a clue about cycling and it's not super beginner friendly, there's not big explanations about the dynamic of the sport or each different competition. If feels written by a fan of Merckx which could potentially bias the book, although my lack of knowledge may be part of why it feels like that. I wish there were discussions about doping, a bigger historical context. It's still super readable but I could only recommend it for someone that's already involved in cycling.

[MARC DES ROSIERS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply a fantastic biography of the greatest cyclist ever, the Cannibal, Eddy Merckx. The recounting of his most important victories are exquisitely told and vivid, and the trajectory of his career is meticulously researched, including interviews with his collaborators and competitors. As well, he goes into why he had such an insatiable desire to win everytime he entered a race. Very well-written, this is a page turner.

[Emiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik heb hier met de volste teugen van genoten. De voortdurende pogingen om Merckx’ karakter te schetsen en te begrijpen waren voor mij de beste stukken uit dit boek. Wielrennen voor de jaren 80 heeft iets unieks dat niet te omschrijven valt, de rauwheid van deze sport is gewoon unmatched. Also Merckx is de fucking GOAT.🐐

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest I was always aware of what a figure Merckx is in regard to Cycling historically but it was only through reading this that I realise how all encompassing his style was.
Others have done five tours but in the modern era it's generally been all out for the tour..maybe a Giro thrown into the season too or a lesser stage race early or late season..for Merckx it seems the win was more important and there was no such thing as a lesser race.
In fact he turned down one tour at the peak of his powers to ride an early season Vuelta before a Giro showing for him it wasn't all about the tour.
Classics , Time trials,criteriums even track and hour attempts Merckx covered it all and though he himself seems to believe his star was fading after a back injury ..well the hits just kept coming.
I think only one other book...one on Sean Kelly..have I read that has a win ratio anywhere near this..will we seek his likes again?
I suspect not..sports science..tapering and dual leadership of teams amongst other things may have changed the sport..but it's difficult to compare eras.
A decent read..and an eye opener for me.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike is a very thorough account of Eddy's Merck'x cycling career. While the book does an admirable job of retelling the history of his races and competitors, it does not tell us much about his motivation and personality.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book about THE biggest legend in cycling. About focus, about obsession, about victory after victory brought about but talent, yes, but more than anything by sweat and tears and sacrifice. I loved the story and the writing.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

i like cycling books but this was a little monotonous. similar to the guy's racing I guess.

[Tomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suomeksi tämä voisi olla vaikkapa Merckx: Mies vai kone? Hyvin kirjoitettu ehjä kertomus pyöräilyn suurimmasta legendasta.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, not enough insight into the man. Mostly a documentation of the races won rather than an exploration of the thoughts inside those racing alongside Mr. Merckx.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the height of Lance Armstrong's successful run of Tour de France victories, I began to watch a some professional bicycle racing on TV and the Internet. I even watched a criterium in Arlington where I live in person. But once the doping aspect became more obvious, I lost interest in current bicycle racing. I guess I couldn't tell you the name of three people who will be racing in the Tour de France this year, as one example of my lack of present interest.

I am still interested in cycling generally however, even if my main association is as a bicycle commuter 20 miles each workday. And I find that I still like reading about older bicycle racing if the book is well written - pretty much when Greg LeMond is done and Lance gets starts is when I lose interest.

William Fotheringham, a British author, has written a number of biographies of 20th century cycling figures, including Tom Simpson, Fausto Coppi, Luis Ocana, and others. I thought I would try this one about Merckx who is arguably the greatest all around road cyclist-racer of all time. I found it a very enjoyable read.

Merckx was nicknamed "The Cannibal" and was famous for his unrelenting approach to bicycle racing. Some of the time it would have seemed more sensible in terms of preserving himself long-term or short-term (or both) to have eased back in some situations, but he almost never employed any strategy other than to attack, to push for the lead, to strive to put himself out in front in order to win the sooner the better.

As a biography, the author works to associate some of Merckx's personal story and background with this unrelenting approach, but this isn't don't so heavily as to be annoying. Fotheringham has a good approach to relating accounts of the different road races described. As a sign of my interest, I read this from cover to cover without some long pause, distracted by some other book(s) in my "to read" pile.

I have read enough before about bicycle racing after WWII to the end of the 20th century that many of Merckx's competitors described in the book were familiar to me, but enough detail about them was supplied that it wasn't necessary in order to enjoy the book.

YouTube videos of documentaries referenced in the book:
https://youtu.be/PNMwxMU0AoQ (Merckx is featured but did not win this race)
https://youtu.be/7hnLjiTzejo (A biographical documentary about Merckx covering the 1973 racing season.)
https://youtu.be/ZUIr9LG1juw (Merckx was the winner)
These are all about 90-110 minutes in length.

[Paulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se trata de una biografía del 'Caníbal' Eddy Merckx escrita de forma lineal en cuanto a la sucesión de capítulos, aunque luego dentro de los mismos hay algún que otro salto temporal. Cubre desde su niñez y su familia (curiosa, por decir algo, la historia de sus parientes colaboracionistas de los nazis) hasta los años posteriores a su retiro del ciclismo profesional.

Trata muy bien muchos aspectos importantes de la carrera de Merckx: sus rivalidades con otros ciclistas (con Ocaña, quizás la más importante), su posición dentro del equipo y para con sus gregarios y directores deportivos, sus caídas (como la de Blois, que supuso un antes y un despúes), su obsesión por la victoria, por disputar prácticamente todas y cada una de las carreras en las que participaba... creo que hace un semblante bastante acertado del ciclista, que permite conocer en profundidad su carácter y la evolución de su carrera.

Fotheringham dedica también bastantes -y muy interesantes- páginas al tema local e idiomático, preguntándose cuán diferente habría sido su carrera de haber sido flamenco de pura cepa. Y es que aunque provenía de familia flamenca, Merckx era bruselense. Aunque hablaba flamenco, no lo hacía del todo bien y se expresaba habitualmente en francés. Los flamencos siempre estaban al quite del asunto y pendientes de si usaba uno u otro idioma; Merckx sin embargo gustaba más del Tour de Francia que del Tour de Flandes y su ídolo había sido Anquetil, por lo que nunca logró encajar plenamente en el mundillo ciclista flamenco.

En el debe del libro, dos puntos muy importantes. Uno es el paralelismo que Fotheringham intenta crear entre Armstrong y Merckx, y que lógicamente ha envejecido muy mal con todo lo que posteriormente a la publicación del libro acabó saliendo a la luz sobre el americano. Y quizá relacionado con esto, el otro aspecto criticable de esta obra es la banalización de los casos de dopaje de Merckx (tres, tres positivos fueron), sobre los que pasa bastante por encima y a los que quita hierro exculpando al belga sin tapujos. Solo al primero, al de Savona que supuso su exclusión del Giro del 69, dedica más espacio, aunque lo hace más bien para justificar su posterior reacción que al episodio de dopaje en sí mismo. Para mí es una pega gorda, el que Fotheringham no haya sido más crítico en este tema.

[Bill Catchings · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 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.

[Ralph B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author William Fotheringham does an admirable job of describing the cycling career of "The Cannibal," my biking hero as a young man. From a school dropout to the racer dominating the classic races in Europe as well as the multi-stage tours, Merckx deserves his reputation of devouring the competition.

The author highlights specific races that established Eddy's winning attitude and superhuman abilities on the bike. Both physically and mentally, he overpowered athletically strong opponents in race after race, sometimes competing in as many as 140-150 contests per year in the late 60s and early 70s. His reputation as a bike racer was so overwhelming that somehow I heard about him in Indiana and was able to follow his victories despite limited media coverage in the US and no Internet.

Reading this book not only gave me a rich understanding of the life of Eddy Mercks, but also a broader idea of what bike racing in Europe was like before Tour de France marketing overshadowed the other regional and national races. Having covered cycling in Europe as a journalist and a racer himself, Fotheringham presents an in-depth telling of the story of a cycling legend.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched and well structured book that does an excellent job of detailing Merckx's astonishing career on a bike. It takes you in detail from his early days as a junior rider through to the epic grand tour triumphs and the burned out finale of his career. It is an interesting read, but if anything, lacked the personal touch, and occasionally felt like a one big long list of triumphs. This is partly due to the outrageous nature of Merckx achievements, the simple fact that he just never stopped winning, no matter whether it was in the velodrome, one day or longer stage racing. It just goes to illustrate that failure is often a more compelling sports subject matter and to be blunt, the cannibal doesn't much go in for coming second!

Fotheringham does a decent job with the material he does have and there are views on what drove Merckx to make him such an incredible talent and maybe I'm being picky, but I wanted a little more of an insight into his mind. A good book, an informative read, but certainly not as exceptional as the man it's about.

[Diego Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the origins and domination of a legend I’ve never heard of. (I’m not a cyclist myself, but gained interest due to the Netflix documentary Tour de France: Unchained) The book gives a good overview of his childhood, amateur career, fast rise to the top, close calls of being humiliated, the relationships with his teammates, his downfall from utter supremacy in the sport. The author gives great context and paints a clear picture in just how much better he was than his opposition. An avid cyclist will better understand the races, racing style, names of key figures, etc. Nonetheless I still gained some insight into the mindset and insatiable desire to win from The Cannibal. A quote when asked about what drives him to win/push himself so much [Merckx] “It’s the most beautiful thing that there is in the world. If nature has given exceptional ability it would be a shame not to use it. You have to work on what you are given. Otherwise you will have achieved nothing in your life and wasted what you have in you.”

[Andrés Pascuas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite I already knew Fotheringham's Writing style (lots of data, many "as he was a child, he wanted to be...), and despite I found it sometimes boring, I gave it a new chance, because I love to read anything related to cycling. Anyways, every cycling fan should know in a good way who has been his God, and God on two wheels has been represented as Eddy Merckx.

It is nice to read Fotheringham's books in order to get in touch with years, Teams and moments, but I personally prefer the books which take a time as a whole, I mean, the ones which take the sport as a whole cultural phenomena, and relate it with a central figure. Fotheringham's ones don't do that, they are just centered in the Sport's figure, and are absolutely biographical.

[Chris Howland · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teenager, cycling was my sport of choice. Merckx was one of my heroes, nicknamed 'the cannibal' because he won almost everything and left nothing for others. Despite the lack of TV coverage, or the internet, news of his latest exploit eventually filtered through, usually just the result.
Half Man, Half Bike fills in a great deal of the back story of an athlete who, in his prime, was streets ahead of the competition. Simply better than everyone else - through motivation, stamina, attention to detail and brute strength.
Did he suffer for this? Yes, a great deal, spending most days of the year on a bike, while riding 50,000+ kilometres a year in all weathers, fit and healthy, worse for wear, or in relatively poor health.
A well written biography of one of sports all time greats.

[Lakshya Kashyap · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to cricket the question is Sachin or Bradman, in football it is Pele or Maradonna and in Tennis it is Rafa or Federer but when it comes to cycling the answer is unanimous - Eddy Merckx.

The book is particularly fascinating because it views Merckx career from the point of view of his fellow competitors during that era, journalists and people around him.

It also talks a lot about the pressures a serial winner like Merckx faced not only to perform but as a bastian of the sport going into the 70s.

Once again, Fotheringham's work has been brilliant with anecdotes and details that can only be found in his work, must read for cycling fans, must read for anyone else as well.

[Michael Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serviceable, but doesn’t transcend the submit.

I’m cycling curious enough to want to read a book on the best of all time, but not enough of a devotee to know the details of the sport by heart. Reading this, I could have done with a hell of a lot more contextualization (what are the monuments? Who’s Coppi, again?). But, if you already know how Paris-Roubaix differs from Liege-Bastogne-Liege, you’ll find a decent amount to enjoy. If, like me, you don’t, you’ll at least occasionally marvel at the jaw dropping lengths to which Merckx pushed himself (how a guy rides three weeks with a open bleeding saddle sore on his crotch is beyond me).

[Abe Cain · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend who does competitive cycling recommended me this book and while I admire the heart of Eddy Merckx and the ideals of an athlete he shows the sport itself is a tad boring to me. His journey to be the greatest was sensational and hearing about the different parenting and the risks he took makes me respect him. Creating a business and going nearly undefeated is something I admire bit once again the sport of cycling doesn't fascinate me. 6/10 but could be an easy 9/10 with the right audience.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, as I was not a follower of cycling during the Merckx years the many names that arise in the book didn't mean anything to me and as a result I wasn't carried along with the head to head duels.

It is clear that he dominated the sport for a decade and had an admirable and honest approach to racing. Quite a contrast to cycle tour races at the moment that are so tactical and defensive and therefore boring as a spectacle. It is only the lesser players that add any interest e.g. Thomas Voeckler and Thomas De Gendt.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good overview of Merckx as a cyclist. One thing I would have liked more of is his personality off the bike. Despite at times being extremely repetitious, Fotheringham does a good job of conveying the racing style and desire to win every race that Merckx embodied throughout his career that is unmatched since his days on the bike. Part of me feels that given Merckx's extraordinary records, it would be hard to write a bad book about such a phenomenon. Though, that is probably too harsh on Fotheringham.

[Venkateswara Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant piece of writing by William Fotheringham. 'Half Man, Half Bike' is an engaging read both for the amazing subject it explores and for his writing style itself. Reading about these old-time greats in the sport feels like a great escape for me. Escaping into a time before I was even born, into the world that's far removed from the one we live in now. It's like seeing and living those times through these amazing stories! Love it!

[Kyle Worrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating biography. At times tilted a little too far into fan piece but enjoyable and engaging throughout. During the portions about the height of his all-too-brief career, every 10 pages or so, I would have to stop to perform internet research on one crazy event or another...some crazy stuff happened in sports in the 70s.

[Robert Meade · Rating 4 out of 5]

These sports biographies were fun when I was younger. The well written ones on some of the most famous athletes are still good to read overall, but if you read too many, especially on athletes in one sport, they can become a little redundant and boring. Never the less , Eddy Merckx is like a Michael Jordan or Jerry Rice, the best of the best so it was worthwhile, plus I like the title.