“I spoke to Eddy Merckx on the phone last week. He’s still not doing well” – Notable Belgian cycling figure addresses lingering concerns over health of cycling’s G.O.A.T

Concern around the health of Eddy Merckx has not eased. After a prolonged period marked by serious injury, multiple medical procedures and recurring setbacks, a fresh update from inside Merckx’s personal circle suggests the situation remains unresolved.

That update comes from Rudy De Bie, a former professional rider and long-time Belgian national coach whose career has been spent inside the sport’s inner workings, and who knew Merckx not as a public icon but as a regular riding companion. “I spoke to him on the phone last week. He’s still not doing well,” De Bie said in quotes published by Gazet van Antwerpen.

Merckx’s recent years have been defined not by public appearances or ceremonial roles, but by repeated medical interventions following a serious accident. Hip surgery, complications and lingering pain have all formed part of a long and difficult recovery process that has kept him largely out of sight.

De Bie’s words land as a reality check rather than reassurance. Despite time, treatment and rehabilitation, the pain has not disappeared. According to De Bie, the hip pain continues to return, remaining a constant physical burden for Merckx as he attempts to recover.

For Merckx, the consequences have gone beyond medical charts. Cycling remained central to his life long after retirement, particularly through regular group rides that structured his week. “Up until last year, I used to go out riding with those guys twice a week,” De Bie said.

That routine came to a sudden end following Merckx’s accident. With the rides gone, so too were the moments that followed them. The shared meals, conversations and familiar atmosphere that had quietly anchored his post-career life have disappeared.

According to De Bie, the past year has been especially heavy, shaped by multiple procedures and ongoing pain. The large table where the group used to gather now sits empty.

De Bie was keen to stress that Merckx remains a warm and approachable person despite the difficult period he is living through. But he also placed the current health struggles within a broader context.

After retiring from racing, Merckx never truly escaped the demands placed on him by his status. “He was more famous than the Pope,” De Bie said.

That level of fame meant constant invitations and expectations, often making it difficult for Merckx to step back. Over time, De Bie indicated, it became too much, forcing Merckx to make choices about how much he could still give.

Merckx’s place in cycling history is unassailable. Five Tours de France, five Giro d’Italia, every Monument, three World Championships and the Hour Record ensure that debate about his greatness no longer exists. What remains uncertain is his recovery.

De Bie’s update offers no dramatic escalation, but that is precisely what makes it significant. Months after his most serious health scares, the message is simple and sobering: progress has been limited, the pain persists, and concern remains.

For the cycling world, it is a reminder that even its greatest figure is still in the middle of a battle he cannot simply power through.