The 1975 Tour de France had to be one big triumph for Eddy Merckx. He was in top condition and would win this race for the 6th time, thereby beating the record of Jacques Anquetil.
Eddy Merckx had won in spring Milaan Sanremo, de Ronde van Vlaanderen, de Amstel Gold Race and of course Luik Bastenaken Luik He himself admitted that he was in great shape and ready to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France again.
In the Tour of Flanders he had even driven 100km with a dying Frans Verbeeck in his wheel. Verbeeck's response to Fred De Bruyne after the arrival therefore said everything. “It is unbelievable Fred how Eddy drives. You cannot say that. Gosh, I suffered so much. You must say it as it is… He drives five miles per hour too fast for us. I do not know what that is. He drives once as fast as last year. "
Eddy Merckx and Frans Verbeeck after the arrival of the 1975 Tour of Flanders
Dauphiné Libéré and not the Giro d’Italia
Due to a throat infection in a race in Denmark, Eddy Merckx had to cancel the Giro d'Italia, much to the dismay of the organizers and the numerous Italian tifosi who wanted to see their cycling hero.
In preparation for the Tour de France, Eddy Merckx decided to participate in the Dauphiné Libéré and probably for the 1st time in his career not with ambitions to win this mini tour de France but only to get ready for the Tour from France.
The winner was Bernard Thévenet who was more than 10 minutes ahead of Merckx who became 10th in the 1975 edition. From this victory Thévenet got courage but especially his sports director Maurice de Muer who told him that if he reached the high mountains in the Tour with less than 3 minutes behind Merckx he would win the Tour.
Thévenet and his team leader had seen another Merckx in the Dauphiné Libéré, no longer a superman but a cyclist like any other. Therefore Thévenet started with a lot of ambition at the start of the 1975 Tour de France.
2nd in the prologue after Moser
The Tour de France starts well for Merckx, in the prologue he is second after the young Italian rider Francesco Moser with whom he makes a pact: Moser was allowed to stay in yellow up to the first mountains but had to race with Merckx as hard as possible so that Merckx could take as much time as possible on its main opponents.
Before the mountains he is therefore almost 3 minutes ahead of Bernard Thévenet whose plan was successful, after all, he was less than 3 minutes behind Merckx and the victory was still possible.
Stroke in the liver during the climb of the Puy-de-Dôme
During the 14th stage, the climb of the Puy-de-Dôme is on the program, a climb that Merckx doesn't like because it is rather short and steep. As expected, Thévenet attacks but Merckx can limit the damage to 30 seconds until he gets a punch in the liver by a French supporter who is tired of Merckx's supremacy.
Eddy Merckx immediately graps his liver after the punch
Merckx immediately feels the pain and has to gasp for a while but he still drives on and comes on top with a delay of less than one minute on Thévenet who loses the stage to Lucien Van Impe.
After the incident, Merckx descends the mountain in search of the culprit who denies everything. A complaint is filed and years later the man is sentenced to pay moral damages of 1 franc. Eddy Merckx cries out in pain and will suffer a lot in the coming days.
Merckx collapses on Pra Loup
The next day, the climb to Pra Loup is on the program and Merckx is determined to make up his lost time. During the ride Merckx does not feel well and asks the Tour doctor for a painkiller.
In a short time he feels better and even decides to attack at 1km from the top of the Col d'Allos, Thévenet jumps along but he cannot keep the wheel of Merckx and loses 10 seconds on the top which increases even to 1 minute and 13 seconds at the foot of the Pra Loup, a climb of 6km but not that difficult.
Thévenet's courage sinks, moreover he is hungry and eats something during the descent, much to the dismay of his team leader who tells him that he is losing the Tour.
What Thévenet does not know, however, is that Eddy Merckx will soon have a slump and will lose almost 3 minutes on him in the short climb. Merckx does not advance for a single meter, first Gimondi comes to him and passes him immediately.
At distance, Thévenet sees the support car of Molteni, the team that Merckx drove for in 1975 and hears the French supporters loudly urging him and shouting that Merckx is not far ahead and that he is making up time.
Moments later, Thévenet flanks Merckx, accelerates and immediately leaves him behind. He smells the victory and the yellow jersey and he is right because at the finish he takes over the yellow jersey and is 58 seconds ahead of Eddy Merckx.
The moment Bernard Thévenet passes Eddy Merckx during the climb to Pra Loup
Eddy declares afterwards that at the foot of the climb he felt all the strength flowing out and that he could no longer move forward. He denies that it's due to a hunger knock because then he would have immediately searched for food on the arrival. According to him and this is also confirmed by the Tour doctor, it was a combination of the consequences of the stroke in the liver and the drug.
Just a few hours after the stage, Eddy had another battle plan and was ready to attack from the start the next day. Not yet recovered from the climb of the Pra Loup, he also lost time on Thévenet in the next ride.
Jawbone fracture from fall
Eddy Merckx was not lucky in this Tour of 1975. Shortly after the start of the 17th stage from Valloire to Morzine, Ole Ritter crashed him and he fractured the jawbone. He is unconcious for a while but soon he gets back on his bike, determined not to give up the fight.
All day and the following days he experiences a lot of trouble and he can not eat. Liquid gels did not exist at that time.
But Merckx's amazing character and fighting spirit did not stop him from attacking, howevet the complete peloton was against him. For years he had hurt his opponents and now they could do that. Merckx was vulnerable and they were too happy to help Thévenet to win.
Merckx keeps on fighting even during the last ride
Even on the last day with start and finish on the Champs-Elysées, Merckx still attacks Thévenet's leading position. At that time, the unwritten law did not yet exist that the last day of the Tour de France the leader will no longer be attacked, unfortunately!
The starting shot had just been given and Merckx jumped out of the pack. Thévenet was talking to the minister and was posing for the photographers and had to make a huge effort. He did not know what happened to him. Both of them then drove a lot of time ahead of the peloton that did not really understand what was happening.
De 1ste twee van de Tour de France 1975 met centraal de Franse president Giscard d’Estaing
It will always be an unanswered question whether Eddy Merckx would have won the 1975 Tour de France without that cowardly punch from a frustrated French fan who was tired of the reign of Merckx. We certainly think so.
Belga Sport made an episode about the 1975 Tour de France in 2008, you can watch it below (in Dutch)
