The palio d'oro alla carriera will be assigned this year to a champion from beyond the Alps: the cyclist Eddy Merckx, considered one of the greatest of all time.

The proverb "the important thing is to participate" was not valid for him, because he competed only to win, so much so that he was given the nickname "cannibal" for his characteristic of devouring opponents.

He won five Tour de France, the first four of which in consecutive years, from 1969 to 1972, and conquered the record of 35 stage victories. In the same period he won five Tours of Italy, two Tours of Belgium and a Tour of Switzerland. To his roll of gold they must be added a Vuelta de Spain in 1973, three world championships on road, 32 classics and numerous other races. On 1800 races to which it participated of it won well 525.

In 1972, the champion, born in a small town near Brussels, set the world hour record at the velodrome in Mexico City, covering the distance of 49.432 kilometers in 60 minutes. And that's not all: just remember the seven first places in as many Milan-San Remo races.

"Eddy Merckx won in cycling everything there was to win" wrote the Gazzetta dello Sport about him. For this reason he is now part of history.