Eddy Merckx - La Course en Tete (1974)

This outstanding film follows Belgian cycling star Eddy Merckx at the peak of his career through Europe's best races. Recommended for the serious cyclist.
"A glorious study of a rider who dominated an entire cycling generation... A must-see for cyclists of all ages. It's inspirational - a study in determination..."
La Course En Tete - Head Of the Field (1974)

[@patrickwalsh279]

This film isn't just a masterpiece of cycling documentaries, it's a masterpiece of film. It's like Shakespeare and Bach and The Beatles all rolled into one, emphasis on the roll!

[@gustavoguidor156]

19:36 the little saddle in the superior bar of the bike's frame, for giving the kids a ride... That's heart touching!

[@paulbookbinder4899]

2020 and still the most beautiful bicycle documentary ever

[@seanmacleod1724]

What can one say but a delight from start to finish. For a short while I was transported back to 1974, (when I was 9 years old), and really felt the beautiful organised chaos that cycle racing was back then. The characters, the faces, the fashions, the sweat, the triumphs and the tragedies..... Perfect, absolutely perfect. Thanks for posting. 👍

[@jiji1946]

....and the bikes were so elegant during that era.... from the 50's to the 80's..... gorgeous machines.

A great exemple of "Less is more". No need for a narrator, the images speak for themselves. Great film. The part when they fool around at the beginning of a race is just hilarious !

[@byc1013]

So much better than what we have now

[@dylanwhitney9228]

The one thing which i love about this documentary is the start!!!

[@valentinrouge9371]

70's: the finest bikes and shirts design ever... Such a documentary!..

[@jthepickle7]

I bought my first bike in 1974 in Rome, a used Cinelli frame with new Campi out of the box, steel rims... Before 'superstars' there was Merckx.

[@jiji1946]

10 years prior, but mine was a Cinelli too.... wish I still owned it （⌒▽⌒）

[@irlrp]

This is great, when they fight for the water and like they all rush into the bar to get something to drink... Gosh ! The guy who cracks into tears... The soundtrack on the falls sequence, ... Such a great documentary...

[@RaymondMcCarron1]

This Documentary is a masterpiece. I'm not even a huge cycling fan. but this is something else. the editing, the soundtrack, the sound. and most of all the basis: the cycling fan and Eddy Merckx and the gamut of emotions. Overall: Artistic excellence.

[@yoso585]

Raymond McCarron Amen!!!!

[@sebastianlecourt1366]

I've shown it to friends who aren't cycling people but are film nerds -- and they agree. It really deserves a quality restoration at some point.

[@RaymondMcCarron1]

Sebastian Lecourt oh yeah, that’s where I would be comfortable, cinephiles please, not film nerds:) and I do keep pushing fellow film fans to watch it and bask in the beauty of it.

[@marcdelente2456]

Le voir sur la route était un vrai bonheur Eddy Merckx était souvent en avance et quand il ce fsait la valise après c était quazi impossible de le rattraper. Eddy Merckx éternel et intemporels pour des siecles . Merci pour ce document a la gloire du grand Eddy Merckx dans son intégralité.

[@MikaelFlyer]

David Munrow produced such a brilliant score, befitting the most significant Human to ride the bicycle. Thank-you Eddy Merckx for giving your all for the race and your fans.

[@marcdelente2456]

Vous pouvez voirs tout les coureurs cyclistes du mondes Eddy Merckx est sans égale pour l éternité. Au jour d'aujourd'hui le roi Eddy merckx voi que sont règne est toujours absolut et jamai sont palmarès ne sera égalé. Merci monsieur Eddy Merckx de m avoir fait rêver. Eddy Merckx éternel et intemporels pour des siecles.

[@Jorge-si7ir]

70's cycling... Respect!!!

[@jimtoole4199]

Five people watched this video while doing a handstand. I bow to your superior balancing skills.

[@mathieub933]

Eddy Merckx ist der beste Rennrad-Fahrer aller Zeiten und es wird niemals irgendeiner an seine Klasse herankommen.

[@paccagniniyves746]

Le plus grand coureur cycliste de tous les temps, probablement qu'il le restera à tout jamais!!

[@estebaninsulza5385]

Bonito , saludos desde CHILE 🇨🇱

[@marcdelente2456]

Eddy en voulait comme personne le cyclisme était ça passion depuis sont enfance et ces pour cela qu' il est devenu le plus grand champion de tout les temps et de tout sport confondu regardé le bien jamai il n'y aura un champion comme le cannibale l ogre car il a plus qu'honoré son métier ça passion ça vie de champion comme l homme qui a aimé ça famille un homme vraiment un homme avec des vrais valeurs un grand monsieur. Monsieur Eddy Merckx merci pour tout et de m avoir fait rêvé

[@efrainsantiagohernandez9535]

Excelente video gran Campeón y gran ciclista ,Eddy Merckx 👍💪🏻🚴‍♂️🇵🇷 gracias !!

[@patkenlaws]

I love the music. Eddy Merckx is the King making a progress through his domain with his vassal Princes (the other team leaders) paying him homage.

[@trhlajz]

Performed by the Early Music Consort of London directed by David Munrow → ♫ kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqmufYiurMh7r80

[@StevenBornfeld]

@@trhlajz Saw this film while out in Colorado Springs to watch the Worlds in 1986. Loved the soundtrack, which singlehandedly turned on to renaissance and earlier music

[@SuperSteveJO]

Great skills going down-hill at that speed in the rain - guts too

[@Ferreal92]

I can't think of too many other professional sports where the biggest stars must share the same environment with the public to train. No private gym or gated training facility, just the road, the elements and all it's dangers.

[@seanmccabe1374]

Wow that music sends me up the fecking wall!!!

[@soupsformoops]

This film begins with the 1973 World Championships in Barcelona. Merckx placed a rare fourth, and as you can see, he is not happy. It seems to loop back to the Giro of that year(?) where Merckx held the Maglia Rosa the entire race.

[@sebastianlecourt1366]

What a weird, beautiful film this is. Very few athletic biopics capture the feeling of loneliness so well.

[@misterarthur]

No race radios. No power meters. I love it.

[@RegisDee]

Strange choice of music, strange editing and sound quality, at first I was even wondering if I was watching the right thing, or what it was. But then it gels as you see nuggets of Eddie's life, the job of being a cyclist, the abilities of a champion, a lot of things, even racing tips. Quite an endearing documentary which contains great footage.

[@chuckelsewhere]

Thanks for uploading this - had the VHS, but now all my VHS machines have died. Without a doubt, my favourite cycling movie. Also got me into the medieval vibe...

[@bannister359]

A superb portrayal of the "life of a pro".

[@markhill9275]

Eddy is the greatest Athlete, not just racing cyclist, but the greatest athlete of all time! No one comes close to what he did, in the toughest sport in the world!

[@MAN1UAL2]

Awesome! Seeing Axel as a little baby! Thanks for sharing the vid.

[@deviekes]

Proud to be Belgian

[@stianpollestad754]

Love the scene where they film his wife going through at door with the baby, and then moves the camera upwards to the attic where all the trophies are stored, while it's raining and thunder outside.

[@lamalamarosa841]

Mercx o melhor de todos os tempos um corredor bom a subir em plano a descer, no contra relógio, todo o terreno.

[@alexcarter8807]

The soundtrack is strange and I love it. It's music that's indigenous to the area; Europe. And a bunch of Europeans doing something that as much as anything else resembled some sort of traveling medieval pageant.

[@trhlajz]

Performed by the Early Music Consort of London directed by David Munrow → ♫ kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqmufYiurMh7r80

[@Acfacf1]

Efsane biskletçiye çok güzel hazırlanmış bir belgesel. Keyife izledim.

[@UntitledCyclist]

Gosh, watching this makes me realise how far cycling has come. This really makes me think that cycling should just go back to basics. No tech gadgets, No comms, just the rider and their bike and going by feel while they ride. It would make races far more interesting!

[@kevinpredom4573]

Thanks i had a jersey like that bac in the 90 s i think i found in a thirfty. It was old and yes hot .

[@rigolonzinbrin]

"La course en tête" This title comes from an RTBF television program commented by Théo Mathy on the career of Eddy Merckx. I find it weird that I can't find this video anywhere with the comments that go with it.

[@paolomagherini4347]

Ricordo come fosse oggi la tappa del Monte Carpegna del giro 1973. Super Merckx.

[@arnaudfauchere1769]

Excellent ! Merci !!

[@ligeiro6620]

god bless you sir!

[@marcdelente2456]

Ce qui m'a toujours fait maré ces que lorsque qu' un cycliste gagnait une classique ou une étape devant Eddy Merckx les gars bichais mais c était pas souvent que cela arrivait. Eddy mon idole depuis 59 ans et je suis très heureu qu' il soit près de nous le cannibale peut voir qsait pas dmain l aveil qui sera égalé. Eddy éternel et intemporels pour des siecles.

[@kamelboudra5631]

Mesdames/Mesdemoiselles/Messieurs voici le plus gd champion toutes disciplines sportives confondues du 20ème siècle @qu il ai pris ou non des substances (à l époque c étaient des cachetons caféine mais rien à voir avec les substances d aujourd'hui qui transforment un homme en femme et vice versa @)tous les champions tous sports confondus en ont pris et en prennent encore en 2022@Eddy Merckx restera toujours ce champion d exception@tres bel athlète dégageant une puissance de pédalage et une détermination incroyable @

[@808bantou]

thanks, i share it to my nightwings

[@harryirene1]

THE greatest

[@davidcotier2854]

Superbe. Merci

[@gregoryvincent9698]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@justinw947]

This was the best, great footage great score.

[@shane-irish]

Great doc

[@terken1]

Ahh back in the day where the riders rode to the start and back from the finish on their bike and the machines were simple and elegant and they ate little sandwiches from their musettes.

[@MzChelxoxo]

This is soothing

[@gaskelldave]

Love the bit at 27:00 where the rider puts his hat on a traffic cone and then puts the cone on his head and continues riding! Who was that?

[@Esperluet]

18:25 setting the seatpost whilst riding

[@Jonifico]

found the screw right away, too!

[@killmodful]

Superbe!!!

[@tinmachine693]

before the Spanish coastline was ruined by the money gobblers. no bloody helmets!!!! no enormous bus for Eddie to hide in post race. Bring back the seventies!

[@napomania]

and no glasses to hide the eyes

[@tinmachine693]

mega smacky if you go back even further it was everyman for himself and you had to fix your own bike! now that's what I call racing!

[@NoobKiller24PiLLe]

mapo mapo I would never race with glasses... I think it’s unnessesary and is so unpersonal. It isn‘t even useful for safety, once you got used to it!

[@Jonifico]

I don't understand the excitement about no helmets, as if it somehow valuates the sport more. It doesn't. There was mention of a fractured skull death in this very film.

[@danielclark739]

The song at 15:00 is a banger and I wish i could find it on spotify.

[@KevinWoodland]

31:50 The guy with the garden hose. We don't have stuff like that anymore.

[@kervilou5905]

very good !

[@albertocontador2911]

EDDY MERCKX DER GÖTTLICHE ,EDDY MERCKX DER UNSTERBLICHE ,EDDY MERCKX DER BKANNIBALE,EDDY MERCKX DER BESTE ALLER ZEITEN ,EDDY MERCKX DER UNBEZWINGBARE, EDDY MERCKX DER ZWEITE JESUS

[@marcorossignoli1814]

Superb docu. First watched it back in 1990. Now it has matured even more with age like a fine wine. Does anybody know the title of the last piece of music?? Shazam cannot identify it.

[@660einzylinder]

the piece of music at the very end is an arrangement of the Arcangelo Correlli violin sonataXII in D minor 'Follia'

[@marcorossignoli1814]

660einzylinder thank you very much!!!

[@660einzylinder]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ-qhGOmh5aqhc0 this should take you to the soundtrack, which has all the tracks listed.

[@nielskjr5432]

I didn't know that two different crews were filming the '73 Giro. Or maybe the French just borrowed some of Leth's footage from "Stars and watercarriers".

[@patrickbateman6768]

Can someone explain to me whats happening at 1:25:20. IS he crying becasue he cant finish the climb?

[@cleekmaker00]

The rider was so spent mentally and physically getting to the summit of the previous climb (the proof being he had to stop and get assistance from the Team car just to put his rain jacket on) that at the end of the descent he was unable to continue and just broke down. It's one of the saddest sights to see but somewhat common in Pro Cycling, especially in the Grand Tours.

[@didierrousseau9245]

EDDY LE PLUS GRAND

[@redcardinalist]

Vive le Roi! Eddy Boss!

[@thenorthremember8674]

Hey does anyone know if there a time cut off back then

[@kwailechai]

41:44 ...Question: Is GOAT Merckx spraying water on rear brake blocks to prevent brake shoe to rim overheat meltdown? Sew-up wheels' on prolong high speed descents needed cooling down! Excess braking overheats the rim in turn melts the glue in turn disengages tire from wheel.. (tubular wheel trivia) Is that what Eddy's doing?

[@florianfuchs8736]

i was thinking the same! there is no other purpose than this!

[@juanmejia9583]

Martín Emilio 'Cochise' Rodriguez en 6:38 detrás de Merckx

[@angelomedi]

Juan Mejía quien es el?

[@jcastillox]

Angelo Medina Aún hoy pese a Lucho Herrera, Fabio Parea, Santiago Botero, Nairo, Rigo, Anacona, Gaviaria sigue siendo el mejor ciclista de Colombia. Fuera de serie. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mart%C3%ADn_Emilio_Rodr%C3%ADguez

[@xantigarijomikeliz720]

@@jcastillox y el primero en aparecer en el ciclismo europeo, por lo menos ganando etapas tour!

[@therealpoka]

either bike caps were bigger then or head has gotten alot a bigger

[@rcfreak69]

they knew how to have a good time, all that alcohol while riding lol

[@andreafarano8289]

What's the name of the Frimatec de Gribaldy's cyclist who is crying?

[@TheMuldooh]

Excellent documentary! My question though, is did the shop keepers get reimbursed by the race organizers after getting raided by the peleton? LOL.

[@cleekmaker00]

TheMuldooh Nope. All in the name of Sport, and the glorious Event known as the Giro d' Italia. They were glad to help! 😋

[@Ultegra10SPD]

1:08:20 = God.

[@jthepickle7]

A time when your shoes and your bike were custom made, if you were captain.

[@borgdrone8369]

i think i have his # 2 bike that he made...the only number on the frame is 2 with 3 x on the lugs top bottom and seat lug...

[@Jonifico]

how the hell did you get it? Would pay big money for it :O

[@joynthis]

Oh, I've seen this. Then the bully from team Cinzano sticks a frame pump in the kid's spokes, then he becomes French, or something.

[@lesmods69]

1:24:51 René Grelin?

[@melbman43]

If you were to ask any of those riders back then if they could of had anything that today's riders are using, what do you think they would say?

[@hystericthumb]

+melbman43 but they did take doping. Eddy Merckx has been caught 3 times and has been disqualified from races. In 2007 he admitted taking pemoline. So some of them would do it for sure.

[@melbman43]

+Tim Huybrechts So true, as the saying goes, Lance just got caught

[@charlieidx]

+melbman43 You mean carbon bikes, electronic gear shifting, clipless pedals, right? I think they'd say 'yes please'.

[@olivierbeaulieu4010]

Its just that doping at their time was faire less effective than in Armstrong years(90-2000). They would take a lot of amphetamine.

[@JackY-pu5nh]

The time when cycling race was all about the MEN, not the instruments.

[@NorthBayRepublic]

Ginettaccio 35:48

[@blackdog6055]

Needs a narrator to explain what he's winning and when.

[@irishelk3]

The way this is shot sort of reminds me of Orson Welles F is for fake, its sort of up to you to see whats going on, released the same year too. Most movies today are pigeon shit.

[@ToejamSlayer]

Awesome movie. Awful soundtrack.

[@papymarc5270]

La musique est insupportable dommage

[@EastStander091]

Sorry but this must be the worst soundtrack ever. The film would have been better without any music. However, the greatness of Eddy shines through.

[@rogerjohnson2396]

They don’t have any dentists in Europe.

[@lexusdav]

giro

[@dansubadukuruguay]

01:09:00 = Canibalismo

[@jonathanlipnick3206]

I love the part at 40:17 where the rider checks his phone mid-race.

[@660einzylinder]

It is Jose Manuel Fuente, aka El Tarangu, he is checking the route card for the gradients. He was a mountain specialist and would be checking where and when to attack Merckx.

[@dgontar]

They didn't wear helmets. Dangerous.

[@taichihead42]

Cycling was a sport back then with real bikes and real men. Its a joke now.