The New Merckx

The New Merckx

Eddy Merckx is globally seen as the best rider of all time. He won more then 500 races on all kind of parcours and levels, including all monuments, all grand tours and the worldchampionship. We didn't found a rider as good as him since then and in times that riders are more & more focusing on specific races during the season, it became highly unlikely that it will ever happen again. But let's have a look on riders that could be seen as a new Merckx today.

Definition

The defenition of a 'Merckx' today is a rider that won many different types of races and usually are competing on a high level all season long

 

Peter Sagan

Peter Sagan and Eddy Merckx have already one thing in common: they won both 3 world titles. Sagan usually also starts winning already stages in Australia, finished his season 3 times with a world title in September/October and won the Green Jersey 7 times in July. He won flat stages, cobble classics, hill stages and mountain stages, what makes him very all round like Merckx was too. But Sagan has been more of a Sprinter then Merckx while Merckx was better in the mountains and time trials

 

Julian Alaphilippe

Another rider that competes in all kind of races all years long. Alaphilippe has a strong sprint but instead of waiting for the sprint he often attacks from a longer distance. He did that when he won Strade Bianche and he also did the same when he took the yellow jersey in Tour de France. Waiting and defending is nothing for Alaphilippe. He instead went in the breakaway with Pinot to take his yellow jersey back ad expand his lead on his opponents. His yellow jersey. He also won the time trial, won a hill stage, stayed in the front group in the mountains and finished 4th overall what makes him maybe even more comparable to Merckx then Sagan. Next year Alaphilippe will take part in his first Tour of Flanders, maybe another milestone in the carrer of 'le nouveau canibale? He already won his first monument this year. Milan - Sanremo, a race that Merckx won 7 times.

Viscenzo Nibali

The last rider on my list problably is the most simmilar one to Merckx. The Sicilian won all grand tours, won 2 monumental classics and isn't affraid to attack from far distance. He's a rider that attacks on the Poggio of Sanremo, fights for the yellow in France, the rainbowjersey in September and winning the last monument of the year in October. Nibali won 52 races so far in his carreer and many of them were on a brave dominant Merckx way. The legend himself noticed it too when he was calling to Nibali to congragulate him for winning Sanremo.