Aside from his unmatched palmarès, the most impressive thing to me about Eddy Merckx is how much he appeared to ride solo on his way to winning. As you sift through the archives of photos for nearly all his big victories, you don’t find too much of Eddy sitting in the group, well protected from the wind or sudden attacks from other teams. I’ve yet to see a shot of three or four Molteni riders in a pace line softening up the peloton for the coup de grâce on a major climb. No, Eddy just rode. You don’t find him reaching for his jersey collar to talk into his radio back to the team car. Just a stone-faced poker player who put all his cards on the table for everyone to see. Here, try to beat me. I’m not bluffing. I’m coming right for you. And I’m leaving you in my wake. Sometimes you pay to witness the beauty of an orchestra under direction of a master. Sometimes you only need a soloist whose performances require no supporting cast. I never saw him race live, but I think Eddy was a soloist.
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