(VELO) — Cycling legend Eddy Merckx, often regarded as the greatest cyclist of all time, is recovering in a hospital after suffering a broken hip in a bike crash. The accident occurred near Merckx’s home in Belgium, where he was riding with friends on a regular group outing.
“It was a stupid accident,” the family of five-time Tour winner Eddy Merckx told Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad. “There were no other road users involved, Eddy just skidded away. Luckily he wasn’t alone, because Eddy felt a sharp pain. He knew right away what time it was, and that suspicion was also confirmed in the hospital: he broke his hip. Eddy now has to undergo surgery.”
According to Het Nieuwsblad, the operation will take place in Herentals, where Remco Evenepoel also underwent surgery last week after a training crash.
Sources close to the Merckx family confirmed that after the crash the 79-year-old was immediately taken to a nearby hospital.
“Eddy is stable and in good hands,” a family spokesperson said. “He’s already showing his characteristic determination to overcome this challenge, just as he did throughout his racing career.”
The Belgian Cycling Factory, parent of the Ridley bicycles brand, took over the Eddy Merckx bicycle line in 2017. The line is currently unavailable in the U.S. market.
