Shelly Horton has given me permission to publish this retelling of Eddy Merckx's 1969 Tour de France, originally published in the email newsletter she produces with her husband Brett, 1K TO GO, using photos from their Horton Collection. Part one is here, and part two is below.
Merckx Crushes the 1969 Tour
Welcome back for Part 2 of Merckx’s domination of the 1969 Tour; hope you enjoy the thrilling conclusion.
-Shelly
A Quick Review…
Merckx arrived at Roubaix for the June 28 prologue as the obvious favorite, but also as a Tour de France debutant. He was only twenty-four years old, yet his résumé already included the 1967 World Championship, the 1968 Giro d’Italia, Milan–San Remo three times, Paris–Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and, earlier in 1969, his first victory in the Tour of Flanders.
The field contained an extraordinary collection of established Tour champions.
Jan Janssen returned as the defending winner after his narrow victory in 1968. Roger Pingeon, the 1967 champion and runner-up in 1968, led the powerful Peugeot team. Felice Gimondi, winner of the 1965 Tour as well as the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, remained one of the most complete stage racers in the world. Raymond Poulidor had never won the Tour, but had already finished on its podium five times and remained France’s most beloved contender.
There were other dangerous riders as well. Herman Van Springel had lost the 1968 Tour to Janssen by only 38 seconds. Rudi Altig was a former Vuelta winner, world champion and exceptional time trialist. Joaquim Agostinho was emerging as a formidable climber, while Olympic champion Pierfranco Vianelli and the young Lucien Van Impe strengthened an unusually deep field.
And then there was Merckx.
 |
| Merckx and the Powerhouse Faema Team 1969 Tour de France |
The Faema Team…
Merckx arrived with a formidable Faema team, built and almost entirely around Belgian strength and directed by Guillaume “Lomme” Dressens. Riding alongside Merckx were Frans Mintjens, Guido Reybrouck, Pietro Scandelli, Jozef Spruyt, Julien Stevens, Roger Swerts, Georges Vandenberghe, Martin Van Den Bossche and his trusted lieutenant Victor Van Schil. It was a deep, experienced group capable of controlling flat stages, driving the pace in the mountains and protecting Merckx when necessary—a point they demonstrated immediately by winning the opening team time trial.
and
Merckx arrived in France furious!
Only weeks earlier, Merckx had been expelled from the Giro d’Italia while leading the race after returning a positive doping test. Merckx maintained that he was innocent, and the circumstances of the test became one of the most controversial episodes of his career. Whether motivated by injustice, humiliation or simple competitive appetite, he entered the Tour with something to prove.
The established champions may have hoped his inexperience would show over three weeks. Instead, Merckx turned the Tour into a demonstration of what a rider without an obvious weakness could do to the greatest stage race in the world.
 |
| Merckx - Stage 12 |
 |
| Merckx with Gimondi in Hot Pursuit - Stage 12 |
12: Digne to Aubagne, 161.5 km
Gimondi salvaged an important stage victory from a four-man move containing Gandarias, Merckx and Merckx’s teammate Victor Van Schil.
Pingeon and Poulidor missed the decisive move and lost 1:23. The result lifted Gimondi to within three seconds of Pingeon, but both men were now more than seven minutes behind Merckx.
Even when another champion won the stage, Merckx was there, taking time from the rest.
Stage 13: Aubagne to La Grande-Motte, 195.5 km
Guido Reybrouck won the mass sprint ahead of Janssen and Leman. The general-classification contenders finished together.
The race was crossing southern France toward the Pyrenees, and Merckx appeared to be spending as little energy as necessary.
 |
| Stage 14 - The race doctor treats an insect bite |
Stage 14: La Grande-Motte to Revel, 234.5 km
Agostinho took his second stage victory after another long, aggressive ride. The main contenders finished together more than two minutes later, leaving Merckx’s advantage unchanged.
The day was also marked by doping penalties. Altig, Pierre Matignon and Bernard Guyot were each assessed 15-minute penalties following positive tests, removing Altig from any remaining significance in the overall standings.
 |
| Merckx and Victor Van Schil Team Meal - Stage 15 |
Stage 15: Revel, 18.5 km Individual Time Trial
Merckx turned this time trial into another exhibition.
He won by 52 seconds over Pingeon, 55 seconds over Poulidor and 59 seconds over Altig. Gimondi lost 1:33.
After fewer than 19 kilometers, Merckx’s advantage over Pingeon had grown to 8:03. Gimondi trailed by 8:47 and Poulidor by 12:04.
The question was no longer whether Merckx could be defeated. It was how large the final margin might become.
 |
| Merckx with Gimondi still hot on his tail - Stage 16 |
Stage 16: Castelnaudary to Luchon, 199 km
On Bastille Day, Raymond Delisle gave France a memorable victory, winning in Luchon after a stage across the Portet-d’Aspet, Col de Menté and Portillon.
Merckx finished fourth, 2:45 behind Delisle, but again gained time on the riders who mattered. Pingeon lost 18 seconds to him, while Gimondi and Poulidor conceded 42 seconds.
Merckx entered the Tour’s most feared Pyrenean stage with an 8:21 lead over Pingeon, 9:29 over Gimondi and 12:46 over Poulidor.
He could have followed wheels for the remainder of the race. Instead, he produced one of the greatest attacks in Tour history.
 |
| Merckx, front and center, leading the pack - Stage 17 |
Stage 17: Luchon to Mourenx, 214.5 km
The route was brutal: Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque, four of the defining passes of the Pyrenees.
Faema drove the race hard. On the Tourmalet, Martin Van Den Bossche set a punishing tempo, reducing the leading group. Merckx accelerated near the summit, initially in pursuit of mountains points, and crested with a slight advantage.
Then he descended.
When Merckx looked behind, no one was immediately chasing. He continued, opening a gap of approximately a minute by the bottom of the Tourmalet. There were still roughly 140 kilometers to ride, including the Aubisque, and common sense suggested that the yellow jersey would wait for assistance.
 |
| Merckx - Solo Breakaway |
Merckx did NOT wait.
His director, Guillaume Driessens, reportedly urged him to ease off. Merckx continued anyway. His advantage was a little more than two minutes near the foot of the Aubisque. By the summit it had grown to approximately seven.
 |
| Merckx alone in the lead 1969 Tour de France, Stage 17 |
He then raced alone across the remaining roads to Mourenx, refusing to reduce his effort even when the stage and the Tour were unquestionably his.
 |
| Merckx - Stage 17 Winner |
Merckx won by 7:56 over Michele Dancelli. Van Den Bossche, Pingeon and Poulidor arrived in the same chasing group. Gimondi lost 14:49.
In one day, Merckx nearly doubled his lead. Pingeon was now 16:18 behind. Poulidor trailed by 20:43 and Gimondi by 24:18.
The 1969 Tour still had six stages remaining, but as a contest it ended in Mourenx.
 |
| Eddy Merckx with Gimondi still chasing Stage 19 - 1969 Tour |
Stage 18: Mourenx to Bordeaux, 201 km
Barry Hoban won the sprint from a five-man breakaway. Merckx finished safely and retained his enormous advantage.
After Mourenx, the peloton was no longer trying to defeat him. The remaining ambitions were stage victories, secondary placings and survival.
Stage 19: Libourne to Brive, 193.5 km
Hoban won again, this time from another successful breakaway. The general classification remained unchanged, with Pingeon still 16:18 behind Merckx.
The British sprinter had taken consecutive stages, but the yellow jersey remained completely untouchable.
 |
| Merckx & Paul Gutty of the Frimatic Team Stage 20 |
Stage 20: Brive to Puy de Dôme, 198 km
Pierre Matignon, sitting near the bottom of the overall standings following his earlier 15-minute penalty, escaped and appeared to have stolen the prestigious summit finish.
Merckx reacted late and launched a furious pursuit up the Puy de Dôme. Matignon survived by 1:25, utterly exhausted.
It was one of the clearest demonstrations of Merckx’s competitive personality. He held a lead of more than 16 minutes and had nothing to gain by chasing a non-threatening rider, yet he still could not allow a stage victory to disappear without a fight.
Merckx finished second and added another 22 seconds to his advantage over Pingeon.
 |
| Merckx - Finish on the Puy de Dôme Stage 20 |
Stage 21: Clermont-Ferrand to Montargis, 329.5 km
The longest stage of the Tour went to Herman Van Springel, who won from a breakaway after more than nine and a half hours of racing.
Merckx finished securely in the main field. With one final split day remaining, his lead stood at 16:40 over Pingeon, 21:20 over Poulidor and 26:31 over Gimondi.
Stage 22A: Montargis to Créteil, 111.5 km
Joseph Spruyt won the road stage from a breakaway, eight seconds ahead of the next group.
Merckx reached Créteil safely. Only the final time trial into Paris remained, and even then he had no intention of merely completing a ceremonial ride.
Stage 22B: Créteil to Paris, 36.8 km Individual Time Trial
Merckx finished his first Tour exactly as he had raced it: at full force.
He won the final time trial by 53 seconds over Poulidor and 1:14 over Pingeon. Gimondi lost 2:53.
Rather than protecting his lead, Merckx increased it one last time. He entered Paris with six individual stage victories and a final advantage of 17:54 over Pingeon. Poulidor finished third at 22:13, and Gimondi fourth at 29:24.
 |
| Merckx & Team Director Lomme Driessens Celebrating in Paris |
The Final Tally:
How Completely Merckx Dominated the Tour
The final numbers border on the absurd.
Merckx won the general classification in 116 hours, 16 minutes and two seconds. Roger Pingeon, himself a former Tour champion and superb stage racer, finished 17:54 behind. Poulidor lost 22:13, while Gimondi — winner of all three Grand Tours during his career — conceded 29:24.
Only Pingeon finished within 20 minutes. Only three riders finished within half an hour.
Merckx’s winning margin was the largest in 17 years, dating back to Fausto Coppi’s 28-minute victory over Stan Ockers in 1952.
He won six individual stages:
- Stage 6 over the Ballon d’Alsace
- Stage 8A, the Divonne-les-Bains time trial
- Stage 11 through the Alps
- Stage 15, the Revel time trial
- Stage 17 after his immense solo ride to Mourenx
- Stage 22B, the final time trial into Paris
He also led Faema to victory in the Stage 1B team time trial.
Merckx scored 244 points to win the points competition, approximately 95 more than Janssen. He accumulated 155 points in the mountains competition, 61 more than Pingeon. He also won the combination classification and the combativity competition, while Faema won the team classification by 14:53 over Peugeot.
He briefly wore yellow after the opening team time trial, surrendered it to teammate Julien Stevens, then reclaimed it on Stage 6. From that point onward, he never lost it.
 |
| King of the Mountains |
Merckx did not dominate through one narrow specialty. He beat the climbers on the Ballon d’Alsace. He beat the time trial specialists at Divonne-les-Bains, Revel and Paris. He followed Pingeon’s Alpine attack to Chamonix. He infiltrated the winning move when Gimondi won at Aubagne. He rode approximately 140 kilometers alone through the Pyrenees to Mourenx. Even with the Tour secured, he nearly hunted down Matignon on the Puy de Dôme.
The established champions had entered the Tour expecting to test an exceptionally gifted debutant over three weeks. Instead, they discovered a rider who could outclimb the climbers, out-time-trial the specialists, survive the longest stages, follow every dangerous attack and then create attacks no one else could follow.
 |
| Victory! Awards Ceremony at Vélodrome de la Cipale, Paris |
Eddy Merckx arrived in Roubaix as the most exciting young rider in cycling. He reached Paris as the undisputed ruler of the sport — and left behind one of the most complete acts of competitive domination the Tour de France has ever witnessed.
 |
| Merckx - Winner of the '69 Tour |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
Post a Comment