1969 - Following Merckx

1969. July the 15th. Stage 17 of the Tour de France. A brutal stage from Luchon to Mourenx covering four of the toughest mountains in the Pyrenees. On this fateful day, Eddy Merckx catapulted himself into the history books with one of the greatest solo breakaways the sport has ever seen.
Fast forward over half a century, and GCN’s Si Richardson is in the Pyrenees to pay tribute to The Cannibal by recreating his ride. To make the 220km epic even more challenging, Si will do it aboard his 1969 spec Faema team bike and wearing their iconic red and white jersey.
Eddy Merckx made this ride look easy, but will Si even make it to the finish line?
1969 Following Merckx will be available to watch from Tuesday 20 December 2022, exclusively on GCN+.
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[@GCNPlus]

A rotating selection of GCN+ films are available as part of our GCN KZbin Memberships. Check out what is currently being shown 👉 gcn.eu/GCN+Films

[@biketrybe7071]

If I could pick a perfect cycling adventure this would be it, rain and all. Thank you so much for doing this, Si. I hope GCN continues to create these epic historical documentaries so that we can understand how hard it was back then... and how soft we've become since.

[@steph4963]

Respect à ce coureur 👍🇨🇵

[@tvsmed]

This is the best cycling video I've seen. Thought I knew everything about the Tour, Merckx and this stage. But no, lots of new info. Brilliant Simon

[@GCNPlus]

Really glad you enjoyed it!

[@lesliereissner4711]

Just finished watching and hats off to GCN and SImon! One terrific idea for a video, a mix of great cycling history, a beautiful bike, and some heroic suffering. I have ridden three of these climbs and they are not easy on a modern bike but doing it on 42x26 and with those squealing brakes in the rain? That took some willpower, to say nothing of figuring out how to deal with that baguette.😊

[@GCNPlus]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! It was a great effort by Si 💪

[@veloman59]

This is one of the most fantastic videos that you have made GCN - what a treat! I enjoyed every minute of it. Congratulations to Si as well. I once rode the east side of the Tourmalet when I went to vist the TdF in 88 when Delgado won it. I was also on a similar bike and boy did I suffer! 😁😁

[@GCNPlus]

Great to hear you enjoyed it! That must have been an incredible experience!

[@iamthedalilama]

This and Kelly is a reason for me to now sign up. Dying to know the gear ratio. As a kid I used to have 52/42 and 13-21 and cannot believe hills I used to get up. Incredible now that using a 50/34 and 11-30 I’m still looking down to see if I have an emergency gear left on the hills. How the pros back then sustained the long inclines on such a high gear ratio.

[@hmstrjam]

Currently watching your film on GCN, looks like you the left the release open on the Campy break calibers, diminishing break performance. You also could have gotten larger toe clips to move your foot forward on the pedal! Love the film so far!

[@gazzervw]

i loved this. great story telling

[@cariocakev]

Great vid. Nice job Si and team. And toe clips this time! Huzzah!

[@SamuelCox-dm6tg]

How come i only get to watch it for about 2 minutes ?

[@tvsmed]

Oh, notice the excitement of the French commentator as Merckx arrive, Bravo Merckx Bravo. Perhaps the most incredible ride in history although Coppi had quite a few as well and with even larger winning margins.

[@ianlainchbury]

Superb program! Many thanks 😊

[@GCNPlus]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@johntechwriter]

Cycling in France is the ultimate.

[@davidcurrie4122]

Hi Si brilliant program by the way please please please more like this. It was great to see Barry Hoborn recollect with such enthusiasm his racing account of that era and that race. It was a delight and he looks fighting fit, just shows how strong these guy where back in the day. I notice from the video you rode with modern cycle shoes, did you manage to find cleats to fit your pedals or ride them without. I know it is possible to buy cleats for toe strap pedals and modern shoes but have only seen them advertised in the States or for Vittoria 1976 cycle shoes, with no UK supplier and massive import duty taxes, it seem to be a problem, as I wear out my old shoes on my classic bike. Any info would be very welcome. If anyone else knows which cleats I need and where to get them please comment. Carry on with the great programs at GCN and a Merry Xmas and happy New year to you all.

[@scottlevitt3606]

Fantastic. Loved this video. TY. By any chance do you have a strava file of the route? I want to put that ride on my bucket list.

[@sekc-chua]

You can do it, Si Richardson! Allez, Allez!

[@redtrekgirl8883]

Neon Green Jersey ✌

[@sahasrangshuutube]

Waiting to see it completely

[@GCNPlus]

You can watch the full doc over on GCN+ 👉 gcn.eu/1969

[@ralfspitaler8921]

Great 🙏🏻

[@eurobubble7068]

i've got the "the year of eddy merckx 69'' photo book by johny vansevenant, must have for any cycling fan imo

[@vitorcarvalho425]

Where can I watch this? I can't seem to find it on GCN+.

[@nielskjr5432]

Very nice bike! I'm very much into retro cycling myself. Hey, did you ride up that mountain in 42 X 23, or were you cheating? Merckx was fueled by rage. He'd just been thrown out of the Giro. Because of doping. He claimed it was all false.

[@qigong100]

Great effort, Si. I know old-school brakes were rubbish, but you could have done up the brake q/r levers.

[@robwhite461]

Where can you watch it

[@seanbonella]

Wow.....

[@Trancefreakeh]

*swells with pride*

[@micomrkaic]

When will this be released? Not on GCN+ yet.

[@GCNPlus]

Tomorrow!

[@markhill9275]

You need to get your facts correct. Eddy is NOT only the greatest cyclist of all time, Eddy Merckx is the greatest athlete of all time. No other athlete has his record of victories and domination over an extended period. What you don't say is his completeness is his given sport. He is the only rider to hold all 3 jerseys in the Tour, he beat the best sprinters, dropped the best climbers, dropped the best kamikaze descenders, dropped the strongest on the flat, he won six day races on the track he won derny races on the track. 4 world titles not 3 as everyone alludes to, he was world champion at 19! So lets get our facts correct, the Greatest Athlete of All Time. You would be more correct to say Cassius Clay is the Eddy Merckx of boxing.

[@PoliticusRex632]

I'm so jealous

[@EddyMerckx-1964-Sallanches]

I have three eddy Merckx bicycles.

[@marcdelente2456]

En 1969 dans le tour il y avait le roi des rois et allait régné pendant des années. Pour les autres l année 69 ne fut pas érotique pour le lpleton. Eddy notre légende bien vivante est l ogre ou le cannibale pour l éternité. Personne ne l'a égalé et personne jamai ne l égalera. Que dieu protège le roi eddy monsieur eddy merckx pour l éternité.

[@johnson2j]

1:51 : Octave Lapize aurait été fier de la référence 🤣

[@jlboynton]

Surprised they didn't edit out a single F-Bomb...

[@flynnireland]

Stood out for me too.

[@user-ul2os9bx]

525か🎉