Eddy Merckx and Brussels are inextricably linked. Indeed, the greatest cyclist - and perhaps the greatest sportsman - of all time grew up here. To this day, he is still devoted to our capital. It is impossible to ignore, ‘the Cannibal’ (he who devoured all his opponents) is everywhere. Discover Brussels as you follow in the footsteps of Eddy Merckx!
🚴 Did you know? 🚴
Eddy Merckx has as many as 525 official victories to his name. Between 1967 and 1975, he won pretty much everything there was to win. The Tour de France (5 times!), Italy (5 times!) and Spain. He won them all.
Merckx was a complete cyclist. Not only did he reign supreme in the Grand Tours, he was also unbeatable in the classics. Milan-San Remo (7 times!), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (5 times!), the Tour of Flanders (2) and Paris-Roubaix (3)… he dominated them all. Not only that, he also set the legendary hour record in Mexico and wore the World Champion’s jersey for three years. It’s undoubtedly clear, he was the greatest of all time.. and it all started in Brussels.
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre
Eddy's parents kept a grocery shop on place des Bouvreuiles/Goudvinkenplein in the picturesque commune of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Eddy helped his parents with deliveries to customers. With the money he earned, he bought his first racing bike. The square has been renamed place Cannibal and a statue of Eddy stands proudly in its centre. It is a beautiful, quiet, neighbourhood known as the Chant d’Oiseau (Birdsong) neighbourhood. Brussels residents often cross the district while running along the Railway Line trail, one of the capital's most popular jogging routes.
The trail takes you right into the wonderful Woluwe Park where little Eddy used to play until it got dark. You could usually find him playing around the Pont du Diable (Devil's Bridge). These days the district has much more to offer. Pastry lovers could find their way blindfolded to Yashuki Sasaki, the acclaimed Japanese pastry chef. And if you love books, be sure to visit Wittockiana, the Museum of Book Arts and Bookbinding, nearby.
Had enough of walking? Then take tram 44. It runs along the beautiful Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan and it was on this avenue that Merckx won his first Tour de France yellow jersey. You’ll pass beautiful houses, the most striking being Stoclet Palace, a sublime Art Deco gem. Stop at the Tram Museum before you dive into the Sonian Forest. Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan is also known as a tough final climb of the Brussels 20km, the capital's most popular running race.
Anderlecht
Merckx caught the racing bug in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre but he found his love on the other side of the city. It was near the Anderlecht slaughterhouses where the father of Claudine, the Cannibal's later wife, owned a pub. Which explains why Eddy could often be found in the Cureghem neighbourhood. These days, the slaughterhouses have made way for Abattoir, a lively site which is home to the largest food market in Brussels.
Even today, you’ll regularly bump into Merckx in Anderlecht. He loves to go to Astrid Park with his good friend, football legend Paul Van Himst, to watch his beloved RSC Anderlecht. Merckx's name is on everyone’s lips in the commune and on a daily basis, and that’s because there is a metro station that bears his name. On the platform of that station, you can admire the legendary orange bicycle on which Eddy broke the hour record in Mexico in 1972.
The City of Brussels
If you ask Merckx about the highlight of his career, he might say the hero’s welcome at the Grand- Place – for many the most beautiful square in the world – which he received after his first Tour victory in 1969. The Cannibal was driven through the city centre in a cabriolet, with as many as 100,000 people cheering him on. On the Grand-Place, no-one could get close him and you could move for people. These are images are etched in the memory of every Belgian.
Unsurprisingly, Merckx fell in love with the city centre. He has a deep fondness for the Sainte-Catherine neighbourhood, where you will often spot him dining in his favourite restaurant, La belle maraîchère. A little further on, by Porte de Ninove Park, artist Amandine Levy created a 24-metre-high mural in honour of Eddy Merckx and his female counterpart, Yvonne Reijnders.
