Tour de France
Tour snapshot: When second place was as good as first

By Mark Akins
Seattle Times staff

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Eddy Merckx's string of Tour de France victories ended with his second-place finish in 1975. It might have been the greatest performance of his career.

Despite a throat infection, "The Cannibal" was in contention for his sixth victory when, on a finishing climb of the Puy de Dôme, a French fan leaped into the road and punched him in the abdomen. Merckx crossed the finish line and vomited. His assailant was arrested.

Despite weakened by medication for his injury, Merckx stayed in the race.

Four days later, he crashed and hit the pavement face-first, fracturing his cheekbone and perforating his sinus bone. Doctors told him to abandon the race, but Merckx got back on his bike and completed a 140-mile Alpine stage with four major climbs.

Still five days from Paris, his breathing impaired and unable to eat solid foods, he pressed on, even cutting into eventual winner Bernard Thévenet's lead before finishing 2 minutes, 47 seconds back.

Some said Merckx might have won had he raced conservatively to save his strength. It wasn't in him. He attacked.

In "Tour de France: The History, the Legend, the Riders," author Graeme Fife summed up the rider's 1975 effort:

"Merckx came second. Hell of a victory."

Mark Akins: 206-464-8994 or makins@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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