• Winner of the 100th edition of Milan-San Remo;

• 30 times a Tour de France stage;

• 17 times first to cross the finish line in the Giro;

• 4 times the fastest sprinter in the Vuelta;

• And oh yes, one time world champion 




So many times we saw him cheering,
patting his chest and with a big smile on stage.
But last week he was in tears. With a restrained sob,
he announced that he might have rode his last race.
Icons come and go, often accompanied by a tear.



 


A song by Donna Summer pops up in our heads:

Last dance
Last chance, for love
Yes, it's my last chance, for romance, tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad



Would it really have been his last dance?
Let's hope he dances on the pedals again!
That he puts his bike away for this season.
But carefully covered against the dust.
So that that song gets into his head every time he sees his bike ...




Surely such a Patron cannot slip out of the peloton through the back door?
He deserves a Big Stage where he can let his tears go gracefully.
Because riders in tears makes cycling heroic!



 
 


Eddy Merckx


Raphael Geminiani

Wim van Est

Gerrie Knetemann