The book “Inaccessible Merckx” in preview at Joué-lès-Tours

There is one point on which the cycling world agrees: Eddy Merckx is indeed the greatest rider of all time. Forty-six years after the end of his career, the Belgian continues to inspire specialist writers. The subject is inexhaustible. Books devoted to his career are legion. Guy Roger is preparing to publish the latest, entitled “Inaccessible Merckx”, published by Solar.

The preview presentation of the book will take place in Joué-lès-Tours, Thursday October 3. It is Jean-Pierre Danguillaume who receives. This might seem surprising, but it can be explained. Guy Roger made his book a collection of testimonies from runners of the generation of the Belgian champion. The author traveled across Europe to meet those who during their careers suffered from the appetites of the man nicknamed the Cannibal.

In Italy, Guy Roger spoke with Gianni Motta, with Italo Zilioli. In Belgium, Roger De Vlaeminck, Merckx’s “best enemy”, opened his doors to him. In France, Bernard Thévenet, who fell to the Belgian in the 1975 Tour, shared his memories. Privileged interlocutor, the winner of the 1975 and 1977 Tours de France wrote the preface to the book. Jean-Pierre Danguillaume also answered the author’s questions.

Guy Roger was seduced by the truculence of the Jocondian, links were created, hence the idea of ​​presenting the book in Joué-lès-Tours a few days before its official release. Alain Bizet, friend of Guy Roger, also a Jocondian, contributed greatly to the preparation of this event which Bernard Thévenet will attend.

Danguillaume – Merckx, crossed careers

Jean-Pierre Danguillaume is just one year younger than Merckx. In 1970, when Tourangeau arrived among the pros, Eddy Merckx was already well established at the top of cycling. Their first melee occurred at the end of the 1970 Tour de France in the final of the Ruffec-Tours stage.

Arriving in Tours, you didn’t have to be a great prophet to know that Jean-Pierre, in great form at the end of the event, was going to do everything possible to triumph at home. But Merckx didn’t want that. It was he who personally went to put an end to the great breakaway started by Jean-Pierre at the end of the race. No matter, the Tourangeau triumphed the next day at Versailles where Merckx did not expect him.

A year later, in 1971, departure of the 18^e stage, Bordeaux-Poitiers, 244 km. Jean-Pierre Danguillaume says: “Merckx sees me. He said to me: you had fine hoses installed, you want to do the stage. I’m going to put one of my cowboys on your back all day. » It was the Belgian Joseph Spruyt who was entrusted with the surveillance mission, which did not prevent Jean-Pierre from winning the stage in Poitiers.

Jean-Pierre Danguillaume, host of Cannibale

Later, in 1975, Merckx dashed the hopes of Jean-Pierre Danguillaume during a Liège-Bastogne-Liège that the Tourangeau was well on his way to winning, burning with the desire to imitate his uncle Camille, winner of the one that the we call the Doyenne, in 1949.

« We were adversaries but with the deepest mutual respect, appreciates Jean-Pierre. One day we would race in Brittany and the next day at the Blanc velodrome at night. Merckx was looking for a hotel on the road. In fact, he slept at my house. In the morning, when I was planning to rest, Merckx invited me to share a training outing with him. I had no choice. We traveled around sixty kilometers before leaving for Le Blanc. What seriousness, what professional conscience, a great gentleman! Later when I was competing in a criterium in Belgium, Merckx returned the favor, he insisted that I sleep with him. »

With Merckx, virtually, Jean-Pierre Danguillaume will be the second hero of this presentation in Joué-lès-Tours. He will receive the City medal from the hands of Frédéric Augis.