Eddy Merckx is widely considered to be the greatest bicycle racer in history. [1] His eleven Grand Tour victories are the most ever, and he also won a record of 28 classic cycle races, in addition to a prolific career as an amateur and on the track. [2]
Limited list, only mentioning 1st places. Source: [3] [4] [5]
Road race, National Junior Road Championships
Overall Liège-La Gleize 
Road race, UCI Amateur Road Championships Overall Escalada a Montjuïc 
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen Road race, UCI Road World Championships 
Overall Giro d'Italia 
Points classification 
Mountains classification 
Overall Giro di Sardegna Overall Tour de Romandie Overall À travers Lausanne 
Overall Volta a Catalunya 
Overall Tour de France Points classification 
Combination classification 
Combativity award Overall Vuelta a Levante Overall Paris–Nice Overall Paris–Luxembourg Overall Tour de France Combination classification Combativity award Overall Giro d'Italia Overall Paris–Nice Points classification
Overall Tour of Belgium Points Classification
Road race, National Road Championships Overall Escalada a Montjuïc Overall À travers Lausanne Road race, UCI Road World Championships Overall Tour de France Points classification Combination classification Overall Giro di Sardegna Overall Paris–Nice Overall Tour of Belgium Points Classification
Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre Overall Escalada a Montjuïc Overall Tour de France Points classification Combination classification Overall Giro d'Italia Overall Escalada a Montjuïc Overall À travers Lausanne Overall Giro d'Italia 
Points classification Overall Vuelta a España Overall Giro di Sardegna Overall À travers Lausanne Road race, UCI Road World Championships Overall Tour de France Combination classification Combativity award Overall Giro d'Italia Overall Tour de Suisse Points classification
Mountains classification Overall Escalada a Montjuïc Overall Giro di Sardegna Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme Points classification Overall Escalada a Montjuïc Combativity award Mountains classification Overall Tour Méditerranéen | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vuelta a España | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | 1 | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE |
| Stages won | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — |
| Mountains classification | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Points classification | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Giro d'Italia  | DNE | DNE | 9 | 1 | DSQ | 1 | DNE | 1 | 1 | 1 | DNE | 8 | DNE |
| Stages won | — | — | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 0 | — |
| Mountains classification | — | — | 3 | 1 | DSQ | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 7 | — |
| Points classification | — | — | 2 | 1 | DSQ | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | — | 2 | — |
| Tour de France | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | DNE | 1 | 2 | DNE | 6 |
| Stages won | — | — | — | — | 6 | 8 | 4 | 6 | — | 8 | 2 | — | 0 |
| Mountains classification | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 11 |
| Points classification | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 5 |
| World Championship | 29 | 12 | 1 | 8 | DNF | 29 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 33 |
| 1 | Winner |
| 2–3 | Top three-finish |
| 4–10 | Top ten-finish |
| 11– | Other finish |
| DNE | Did not enter |
| DNF-x | Did not finish (retired on stage x) |
| DNS-x | Did not start (not started on stage x) |
| HD | Finished outside time limit (occurred on stage x) |
| DSQ | Disqualified |
| N/A | Race/classification not held |
| NR | Not ranked in this classification |
| Monument | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | 1 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 98 |
| Tour of Flanders | DNF | 3 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 76 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 17 | DNF |
| Paris–Roubaix | 15 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | 8 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Giro di Lombardia | 2 | 7 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | DSQ | 2 | 6 | — | — |
| Race | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro di Sardegna | — | 28 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 20 |
| Paris–Nice | 4 | 10 | DNF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | DNF |
 Tirreno–Adriatico | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
 Volta a Catalunya | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tour of the Basque Country | X | X | X | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Tour of Belgium | 11 | — | DNF | — | 1 | 1 | — | ? | — | — | 26 | — |
| Grand Prix du Midi Libre | 11 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 7 |
 Tour de Romandie | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 3 | 7 |
| Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | — | 8 |
| Tour de Suisse | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 12 |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
Madison, National Amateur Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, National Amateur Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, National Amateur Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu)
Madison, European Championships (with Patrick Sercu)
49.431 km Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Omnium, European Championships Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu) Madison, European Championships (with Patrick Sercu)
In his best year, Merckx won almost every other race he rode. Merckx won the equivalent of a race a week for six years. [6] This table shows his strike rate of wins as a percentage of races undertaken. [5]
| Year | Races | Won | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 14 | 1 | 7,7% |
| 1962 | 55 | 23 | 41,8% |
| 1963 | 78 | 28 | 35,9% |
| 1964 | 74 | 24 | 32,4% |
| 1965 | 74 | 13 | 17,6% |
| 1966 | 95 | 20 | 21,1% |
| 1967 | 113 | 26 | 23,0% |
| 1968 | 129 | 32 | 24,8% |
| 1969 | 129 | 43 | 33,3% |
| 1970 | 138 | 52 | 37,7% |
| 1971 | 120 | 54 | 45,0% |
| 1972 | 127 | 50 | 39,4% |
| 1973 | 136 | 51 | 37,5% |
| 1974 | 140 | 38 | 27,1% |
| 1975 | 151 | 38 | 25,2% |
| 1976 | 111 | 15 | 13,5% |
| 1977 | 119 | 17 | 14,3% |
| 1978 | 5 | 0 | 0,0% |
Overall: 1808 races entered, 525 wins for a win rate of 29%. [7]
1961–1964: Amateur results. 5 of the 74 races in 1965 were as amateur, of which 4 were won.
| Discipline | Record | Date | Event | Velodrome | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour record | 49.431 km | 25 October 1972 | — | Agustín Melgar Olympic Velodrome, Mexico City | [8] |
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