Three-time Paris-Roubaix winner Eddy Merckx has cobbled sector named in his honour

Cycling legend and three-time former Paris-Roubaix winner Eddy Merckx is set to have a cobbled sector in the famous monument named in his honour.

The likes of Bernard Hinault, Marc Madiot and John Degenkolb are among the eight previous riders to have had cobbled sectors of the race named after them and Merckx has now become the ninth member of this illustrious club.

"1973 was a hellish edition of Paris-Roubaix, with an incredible amount of rain," recalls the Cannibal, also winning in 1968 and 1970. "It was very hard, but a nice win." In fact Merckx led home a race dominated by his countrymen that year with each of the top 8 finishers being Belgian.

"This does something to me," Merckx told the assembled press at four-star sector in Camphin-en-Pévèle that funnily enough the great man never rode on in his Paris-Roubaix editions. This particular set of cobbles wasn't introduced into the race until 1980. "That's how you stay immortal," Merckx concludes.