Paris–Roubaix —a Belgian affair (III/V)

April 11 ^th 2022 - 12:00

Eddy Merckx,  The Cannibal (III/V) 

Black, yellow and red. Belgium's national colours shine brighter than any other on the honour roll of Paris–Roubaix, with 57 victories in 108 editions, courtesy of 41 different cyclists who rode across the border and to glory on the cobblestones of northern France.  

At a time when national champion Wout van Aert is tipped as a hot favourite, just a few months after rising star Florian Vermeersch stormed to a sensational podium finish in his debut in the Queen of Classics, much in the same vein as Tom Boonen, who took his last triumph here ten years ago, paris-roubaix.fr is looking back on the Roubaix careers of five great Belgian winners.

The greatest rider of all time, Eddy Merckx, left his mark on virtually every iconic site of cycling, and Roubaix Velodrome, where he won three times, is no exception. On this exceptional terrain, he came up against one of the toughest nuts to crack, Roger De Vlaeminck. Their long-running duel on the cobblestones holds a special place in the history of cycling.