Q 01/05

By what nickname is Eddy Merckx best known?

A) The Eagle

B) The Badger

C) The Professor

D) The Cannibal

Answer · why

D) The Cannibal

In Italy he was il mostro, 'the Monster'; the Badger was Bernard Hinault.

Q 02/05

Who actually coined his famous man-eating nickname?

A) Rival Felice Gimondi

B) A French sportswriter

C) His wife Claudine

D) A teammate's daughter

Answer · why

D) A teammate's daughter

Christian Raymond complained that Merckx let nobody else win; his daughter said he was a cannibal, and Raymond passed it to the press.

Q 03/05

How many Grand Tours did Merckx win, still a record?

A) 11

B) 7

C) 9

D) 10

Answer · why

A) 11

Five Tours de France, five Giri d'Italia and one Vuelta a Espana; he also holds the record for Grand Tour stage wins with 64.

Q 04/05

How many professional road races did Merckx win in his career?

A) 365

B) 480

C) 525

D) 410

Answer · why

C) 525

He entered more than 1,800 races in total; in 1971 alone he won 54 of the 120 he started, still a single-season record.

Q 05/05

In which Belgian village was Merckx born on 17 June 1945?

A) Sint-Genesius-Rode

B) Wezembeek-Oppem

C) Meensel-Kiezegem

D) Scherpenheuvel

Answer · why

C) Meensel-Kiezegem

The family moved to Sint-Pieters-Woluwe in Brussels the next year to run a grocery shop; a statue was unveiled in his birthplace in 2015.