Eddy Merckx

Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛrks]) (born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer. He was born in Meensel-Kiezegem, Brabant, Belgium. He grew up in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre where his parents ran a grocery store. He played several sports, but found his true passion in cycling. Merckx got his first bicycle at the age of three or four and competed in his first race in 1961. His first victory came at Petit-Enghien in October 1961.

After winning eighty races as an amateur racer, he turned professional on 29 April 1965 when he signed with Solo-Superia. His first major victory came in the Milan–San Remo a year later, after switching to Peugeot-BP-Michelin. After the 1967 season, Merckx moved to Faema, and won the Giro d'Italia, his first of eleven Grand Tour victories – a record that still stands today. Four times between 1970 and 1974, Merckx completed a Grand Tour double. His final double also coincided with winning the men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships to make him the first rider to accomplish cycling's Triple Crown. Merckx broke the hour record in October 1972, extending the record by almost 800 meters.

Eddy Merckx (billiards player)

Eddy Merckx (born Reet, Belgium, 4 September 1968) is a Belgian professional three-cushion billiards player.

Private Life

Merckx was born in 1968, the year cyclist Eddy Merckx won his first Giro d'Italia, and he was named after the cyclist. In daily life, he often adopts his wife's maiden name to avoid confusion with his somewhat more famous namesake.

Career

Season 2006/07

In the year 2006, he beat Nikos Polychronopoulos 3–1 to win the world title in three cushions billiards. In 2007, he added the European title in Salon de Provence in France, by beating the reigning champion Frédéric Caudron.

Season 2011/12

On 8 October 2011, while playing in the German Bundesliga in Duisburg, Merckx defeated Won Kang 50-6 in six innings. The inning breakdown was 4-9-26-7-0-4. The previous record for a 50 point game was nine innings, shared by Torbjorn Blomdahl, Frederic Caudron and Marco Zanetti.

Season 2012/13

From 27 August to 1 September he played on the invitation tournament Cuvino Superprestige, which was held in the city of Lommel, Belgium. The Belgians where looking for the fifth time for their king of 3-cushion and in 2012 it was Merckx by beating world number one Frédéric Caudron in the final. Just a week later on 9 September 2012, he won his second UMB world title in Porto by defeating again Frédéric Caudron in the semis and Choi Sung-Won in the finals. Another week later he was playing in Suwon on the 3-Cushion World Cup and got on the third place together with Dick Jaspers from the Netherlands. He was climbing up to third place of the world ranking due to his latest wins.