If ever there was a photo that illustrated why anyone would be given the monicker, “The Canibal”, this is it.
I devoted a full seventeen seconds to ‘finding out the history’ of this picture, and came up empty. G’Phant sent this my way with a short but clear note, “This photo looks like it was taken at the moment Merckx was told Moser beat his Hour record; I look forward to learning the true history.” His email went on to imply Merckx threatened to eat Moser’s entire family and that he followed through with the threat.
That’s exactly the kind of hyperbolae the Velominati try to stay away from; everyone knows Fancesco Moser is still alive – Merckx couldn’t possibly have eaten everyone in his family. The only plausible explanation would be that it was a sinister endeavor in which Moser alone was left alive to wallow in the agony of his singular survival. It is a widely accepted fact, however, that Merckx gained a lot of weight after this photo was taken. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions in this matter.
With no legitimate evidence to counter it – and as an unaccredited and completely untrustworthy member of the media, it only seems natural to assume the thesis of Geof’s email – that this is the very moment in which he was informed of the new Hour Record – is correct. (When I say ‘natural’, I actually mean ‘easy’.) While in principle I agree that Merckx’s comment was uncharacteristic in it’s lack of class, I urge you to consider that, based on the look on the Cannibal’s face, his official comment, “For the first time in the history of the Hour record a weaker man has beaten a stronger man” was not one of an uncharacteristic quip but one of self-constraint. What he meant to say was, “I am the Cannibal. I will eat you where you stand.”
If you feel Merckx owes Moser an apology, I suggest that you tell him.
Thanks to G’Phant and Buck Rogers for the inspiration to this article.
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@Cyclops
Unless there's some reason why you're not allowed to cross the border (and some of your posts here might qualify), you're a shitload closer than I am.
@Marko
A-Merckx to that!
@Mike
Thanks Mike, now I have to shell out more coin to get that book!
Great t-shirts too mate, gotta get me a Huy I think... check em out peeps.
@Brett
The book appears to be cheaper than on Amazon if sourced directly from Vanfleteren's website. I've made enquiries on that site and apparently will receive an email with details in the next few days. Will let you know.
@Brett, @Mike
Those have GOT to be Yate's leggs.
I want your Eddy Merckx shirt, dude.
@G'phant
Let us know, would you? It's pricey as fuck and not available new in the States.
@frank
Sure. http://www.stephanvanfleteren.com/order.htm indicates 19 Euro plus P&P. But may be out of date.
Yates or maybe Sean Kelly's. Does the picture have a title with the owner of those guns?
@Buck Rogers
Bruno Risi, Six Days of Ghent. No date given, but based in the book pub date it was prob 2004/5.
So, in a slightly surreal fashion, I had breakfast this morning with Stefan Vanfleteren, the phototographer who took this picture... I first saw it in Rouleur (I think issue 2? 3?) and had become a huge fan of his work... and have been emailing him on and off about stuff he's doing, essentially whilst trying to work out whether I could afford one of his prints.
Anyhow, he emails me last week to say he's coming to London for some project or other, and would I like to have breakfast with him at the Eurostar train station when he arrives... Duh, yeah. Was awesome - he's irritatingly good looking (not so awesome), but very charming, charismatic, cycle mad, and properly Belgian (on top of being very talented with a camera). [BTW, he's pissed as hell, as am I, that the RvV next year is dropping both the Muur, Kapelmuur and the Bosberg from it's parcours... we HAVE to mount a protest]
I asked about this portrait, and how it came about... he know knows Merckx (Praise His name!) well now, but this was the first time he'd been commissioned to shoot him and was meeting him for the first time, along with a Belgian journalist for an interview, as it was His 60th birthday (so, about 6 - 7 years ago). Stefan knew He was in good shape (he has since taken some other portraits of him in not so good shape), so had borrowed a vintage, original Molteni jersey from a Belgian collector he knew, with the idea to shoot him in his old kit... So, after the interview, in some restaurant in Belgium, Stefan said "go on, put this on, and let's go outside and take some shots"... didn't get a great response "Are you kidding?" "no seriously, it'll be great"... so Merckx changes in the restuarant rest room into the jersey, goes out the back with Stefan where - with no backdrop, no assistant, no extra lighting - they find a white service door to act as a neutral backdrop... which is why the photo is cropped the way it is... any further to the right, left or top, you'll get a brick wall... behind His back is a big door handle. At this stage, Merckx didn't know who this photograher was, and it all seemed a little mickey mouse... hence the look for the camera. And boy, what a look... but what a photo.
Helluva way to start the day!
@roadslave
WOW. Seriously awesome! I trust you will find a way to buy one of his prints, even if it means selling a kidney.