79-year-old Eddy Merckx hospitalised after “stupid” crash near home in Belgium

Arguably the greatest cyclist of all-time, the now 79-year-old Eddy Merckx remains an active rider around his home roads in Belgium. Sadly, the five-time Tour de France winner has been left hospitalised after a crash near his home on Monday afternoon.

“There were no other road users involved,” explains Merckx's wife Claudine of the incident to Het Nieuwsblad. “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.”

Onlookers at the scene quickly called for medical for Merckx, who was then rushed away in an ambulance to be treated. As mentioned by Claudine, a broken hip seems the end result of the 79-year-old's injuries, with surgery required to properly fix the damage caused.

Coincidently, the biggest name in modern Belgian cycling, double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel is also currently out of action after a training crash. The Soudal - Quick-Step leader crashed on a training ride in Belgium last week, colliding with the opening door of a BPost van and being left with broken bones and a dislocated collarbone among others injuries, with the former Vuelta a Espana champion set for up to eight weeks off-bike according to team boss Patrick Lefevere.

Best wishes to Merckx from all associated with CyclingUpToDate.com