Axel Merckx
Encyclopedia
Axel Merckx is a Belgian
former professional road bicycle racer who retired from the sport in August 2007. Since he began his professional career in 1993, he has won an Olympic Bronze medal and competed in 8 Tours de France, finishing in 6 as the highest-placed Belgian rider. During the 2006 Tour
he announced that he signed a new contract for one extra season with Phonak, (to be renamed iShares). He also mentioned that this will be his last season as a professional road bicycle racer. However, after Phonak announced that it would stop sponsoring the cycling team, Merckx signed a contract with T-Mobile Team, the same team where he started his professional career.
Despite several strong years of racing, including winning the Belgian national championship in 2000, Merckx is probably still more famous for being the son of five-time Tour de France
champion Eddy Merckx
than for any of his own cycling exploits. Despite being overshadowed by his father's formidable record, Merckx has repeatedly vowed to make his mark by accomplishing feats Eddy never managed - including a Tour de France stage win at the top of Alpe d'Huez
and a win in the Paris–Tours World Cup race - but has yet to make good on these promises. He has a large number of fans in Belgium, and would undoubtedly engender a great deal more goodwill if he were ever to achieve either of those elusive wins.
One place where he has overshadowed his father is at the Olympic Games
. Merckx won the bronze medal in the road race during the 2004 Games in Athens
. In the final kilometre, he moved off the bunch with a canny move, thus getting a result his father never accomplished. Eddy Merckx was unable to compete in the Olympics through the prime of his career as it was then restricted to amateurs.
A good climber, Merckx is probably at his best in the mid-altitude mountain range
s, notably the Massif Central
and the Ardennes
. His favorite race, and the one he feels best in, is Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He is also always aiming for a Tour de France stage win, and can often be found in long breaks. His sprinting
capacities are not that strong, so he is often beaten at the finish.
Merckx announced that he would be retiring from professional cycling at the end of the 2007 Tour de France
. He cycled, and won, his last race in Lommel
, Belgium in early August 2007.
Merckx married Canadian
triathlete
Jodi Cross in 1997, and currently resides in Kelowna
B.C. He has two children, Axana and Athina Grace (born 30 June 2005).
Because his father Eddy Merckx has been made a baron (as personal title, but his nobility is hereditary), Axel Merckx also belongs to the (untitled) nobility. As such, he is officially referred to as Jonkheer
Axel Merckx. The honorific Jonkheer is comparable to the British honorific "The Honourable", when the untitled person is the son or daughter of a baronet, earl or viscount. However it is rarely used in reference to Merckx.
Merckx currently serves as Directeur sportif
for the Trek-Livestrong U-23 team
Axel Merckx has also created the Granfondo Axel Merckx National Series, with its inaugural event being the Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan on July 10, 2011 in Penticton, B.C. Canada. Axel's father, cycling legend Eddy Merckx, will also be riding in the inaugural event.
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
former professional road bicycle racer who retired from the sport in August 2007. Since he began his professional career in 1993, he has won an Olympic Bronze medal and competed in 8 Tours de France, finishing in 6 as the highest-placed Belgian rider. During the 2006 Tour
2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
he announced that he signed a new contract for one extra season with Phonak, (to be renamed iShares). He also mentioned that this will be his last season as a professional road bicycle racer. However, after Phonak announced that it would stop sponsoring the cycling team, Merckx signed a contract with T-Mobile Team, the same team where he started his professional career.
Despite several strong years of racing, including winning the Belgian national championship in 2000, Merckx is probably still more famous for being the son of five-time Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
champion Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
than for any of his own cycling exploits. Despite being overshadowed by his father's formidable record, Merckx has repeatedly vowed to make his mark by accomplishing feats Eddy never managed - including a Tour de France stage win at the top of Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
and a win in the Paris–Tours World Cup race - but has yet to make good on these promises. He has a large number of fans in Belgium, and would undoubtedly engender a great deal more goodwill if he were ever to achieve either of those elusive wins.
One place where he has overshadowed his father is at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. Merckx won the bronze medal in the road race during the 2004 Games in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. In the final kilometre, he moved off the bunch with a canny move, thus getting a result his father never accomplished. Eddy Merckx was unable to compete in the Olympics through the prime of his career as it was then restricted to amateurs.
A good climber, Merckx is probably at his best in the mid-altitude mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s, notably the Massif Central
Massif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
and the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
. His favorite race, and the one he feels best in, is Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He is also always aiming for a Tour de France stage win, and can often be found in long breaks. His sprinting
Cycling sprinter
A cycling sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.-The road sprinter:...
capacities are not that strong, so he is often beaten at the finish.
Merckx announced that he would be retiring from professional cycling at the end of the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
. He cycled, and won, his last race in Lommel
Lommel
Lommel is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006 Lommel had a total population of 31,898. The total area is 102.37 km² which gives a population density of 312 inhabitants per km².-Lutlommel:...
, Belgium in early August 2007.
Merckx married Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
triathlete
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
Jodi Cross in 1997, and currently resides in Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
B.C. He has two children, Axana and Athina Grace (born 30 June 2005).
Because his father Eddy Merckx has been made a baron (as personal title, but his nobility is hereditary), Axel Merckx also belongs to the (untitled) nobility. As such, he is officially referred to as Jonkheer
Jonkheer
Jonkheer is a Dutch honorific of nobility.-Honorific of nobility:"Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady". In medieval times such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman...
Axel Merckx. The honorific Jonkheer is comparable to the British honorific "The Honourable", when the untitled person is the son or daughter of a baronet, earl or viscount. However it is rarely used in reference to Merckx.
Merckx currently serves as Directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
for the Trek-Livestrong U-23 team
Axel Merckx has also created the Granfondo Axel Merckx National Series, with its inaugural event being the Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan on July 10, 2011 in Penticton, B.C. Canada. Axel's father, cycling legend Eddy Merckx, will also be riding in the inaugural event.
Palmarès
1995- 2nd Sint-Truiden
1996
- 1st GP Sanson
- 3rd Giro di Lombardia
1998
- 2nd Overall Bayern-RundfahrtBayern-RundfahrtThe International Bayern Rundfahrt is a stage race cycling race held each year in Bavaria, Germany. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour.The race was held as an amateur race between 1980 and 1988.- Winners :...
- 1st Stage 3
- 2nd Clásica de San SebastiánClásica de San SebastiánThe Donostia-Donostia Klasikoa - Clásica San Sebastián-San Sebastián is a cycle race that has been held every summer since 1981 in San Sebastián, Spain...
- 2nd Subida Urkiola
- 10th Overall Tour de France1998 Tour de FranceThe 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of...
1999
- 3rd National Road Race Championchip
2000
- 1st
Belgium National Road Race Championship - 1st
Overall Tour du Région Wallonne - 1st Stage 8 Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
2001
- 1st Grand Prix de WallonieGrand Prix de WallonieThe Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Palmarès:-External links:*...
- 1st Ronde d'Aix-en-Provence
- 3rd Brabantse PijlBrabantse PijlThe Brabantse Pijl is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011, it was upgraded to a 1.HC event...
2002
- 1st
Combativity competition Paris–Nice - 2nd Overall Vuelta a AndalucíaVuelta a AndalucíaThe Vuelta a Andalucía or Ruta del Sol is a regional Spanish road bicycle race. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour....
2003
- 1st Overall Tour de l'AinTour de l'AinTour de l'Ain, also known as the Prix de l'Amitié , is an annual late season professional cycling stage race held mid-August. The first Tour de l'Ain was held in 1989 and was organized by Dante Lavacca, Armand Peracca and Maurice Josserand. From 1989 to 1992 it was an amateur event. In 1993 it...
2004
- 3rd
Olympic Road Race
2005
- 1st Stage 5 Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
- 3rd Brabantse PijlBrabantse PijlThe Brabantse Pijl is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011, it was upgraded to a 1.HC event...
- 3rd Stage 16 Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
2006
- 1st Wolvertem Criterium
2007
- 1st Lommel Criterium
- 2nd Stage 18 Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...