Cycling great Eddy Merckx hospitalized after bike crash

Former cyclist Eddy Merckx speaks during a presentation of the 2019 Tour de France cycling race in Brussels. (Olivier Matthys/AP)

BRUSSELS — A Belgian newspaper reported Monday that cycling great Eddy Merckx sustained head injuries in a crash while bike riding with friends.

The Het Nieuwsblad newspaper said the 74-year-old Merckx crashed Sunday and was admitted to a hospital in Dendermonde.

Merckx is regarded by many as the greatest cyclist ever. He won five Tour de France titles and a record 34 stages.

The 2019 Tour de France began in Brussels in July and feted Merckx to mark the 50th anniversary of his first Tour victory.

Known as "The Cannibal" for his appetite for winning, Merckx also won five Giro d’Italia titles, one Spanish Vuelta and a string of one-day classic races.

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