View source for Axel Merckx

{{short description|Belgian cyclist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name           = Axel Merckx
| image          = Axel Merckx.JPG<!-- this image is my one creation I give authorisation to publish Maarten Van Camp 14 may 2007 -->
| caption        = Merckx in 2006
| fullname       = Axel Merckx
| nickname       =
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1972|8|8}}
| birth_place    = [[Uccle]], Belgium
| height         = {{convert|1.91|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight         = {{convert|77 |kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| currentteam    = {{UCI team code|HBA}}
| discipline     = Road
| role           = {{Unbulleted list|Rider (retired)|General manager|Team manager}}
| ridertype      = All-rounder
| protourrank    =
| amateuryears1  =
| amateurteam1   =
| proyears1      = 1993
| proteam1       = {{UCI team code|MOT|1993}} ''(stagiaire)''
| proyears2      = 1994
| proteam2       = {{UCI team code|THR|1994}}
| proyears3      = 1995–1996
| proteam3       = {{UCI team code|MOT|1995}}
| proyears4      = 1997–1998
| proteam4       = {{UCI team code|POL|1997}}
| proyears5      = 1999–2000
| proteam5       = {{UCI team code|MAP|1999}}
| proyears6      = 2001–2002
| proteam6       = {{UCI team code|DFF|2001}}
| proyears7      = 2003–2005
| proteam7       = {{UCI team code|LTS|2003}}
| proyears8      = 2006
| proteam8       = {{UCI team code|PHO|2006}}
| proyears9      = 2007
| proteam9       = {{UCI team code|THR|2007a}}
| manageyears1   = 2009–
| manageteam1    = {{UCI team code|HBA|2009}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-approves-axeon-pro-continental-status/|title=UCI approves Axeon Pro Continental status|website=[[Cyclingnews.com]]|date=4 December 2017|access-date=25 January 2018}}</ref>
| manageyears2   = 2011
| manageteam2    = {{UCI team code|RSH|2011}}
| majorwins      = '''[[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]]'''
:'''[[Giro d'Italia]]'''
::1 individual stage ([[2000 Giro d'Italia|2000]])
'''[[Classic cycle races|One-day races and Classics]]'''
:{{nowrap|[[Belgian National Road Race Championships|National Road Race Championships]] (2000)}}
| show-medals    = no
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|Belgium}}}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[road bicycle racing]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's road race|Road Race]]}} 
}}

'''Axel Eddy Lucien [[Jonkheer]] Merckx<ref>État présent de la noblesse belge, 4th series, 2003 /2014</ref>''' (born 8 August 1972) is a [[Belgium|Belgian]] former professional [[road bicycle racer]] and the son of five-time [[Tour de France]] champion [[Eddy Merckx]]. He is team director of [[UCI Continental team]] {{UCI team code|HBA}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/14258/1001895/257|title=Hagens Berman Axeon|work=UCI.org|publisher=[[Union Cycliste Internationale]]|access-date=2 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402195525/https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/14258/1001895/257|archive-date=2 April 2020}}</ref>

In his professional career, he won the [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Belgian national road race championship]] in 2000 and a bronze medal in the [[Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's individual road race|road race]] at the [[2004 Summer Olympic Games|2004 Olympic Games]] in [[Athens]].

==Cycling career==
Born in [[Uccle]], Axel Merckx became a professional cyclist in 1993, winning the Belgian national road race championship in 2000. He vowed to make his mark by accomplishing feats that had eluded his father, such as winning a Tour de France stage at [[Alpe d'Huez]] and the [[Paris–Tours]] classic. He did not succeed, but competed in eight Tours de France and finished as the highest-placed Belgian rider six times. His personal best finish was tenth in the [[1998 Tour de France|1998 edition]].

Merckx won the bronze medal in the [[Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's individual road race|road race]] at the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Games]] in [[Athens]], breaking free in the final kilometre.

During the [[2006 Tour de France]], Merckx announced that he signed a new contract for one extra season with Phonak, later renamed iShares. He stated that this would be his last season as a professional road bicycle racer. However, after Phonak announced that it would stop sponsoring the cycling team, Merckx signed a contract with Team T-Mobile, where he had started his professional career. During the 2006 Tour Merckx was instrumental in forcing the pace of the [[peloton]] for teammate [[Floyd Landis]] who won the Tour. He was oftentimes the only teammate able to stay with Landis and the group of favorites and he initially finished 31st overall, however it was later discovered that Landis had failed a doping control after stage 17 and the Tour win was revoked.

Merckx announced his retirement from professional cycling at the end of the [[2007 Tour de France]].<ref name="axel-retire">{{cite web
| url        = http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/news/?id=/news/2007/jul07/jul28news
| title      = Merckx says farewell with final break
| date       = 28 July 2007
| author     = Brecht Decaluwé
| publisher  = Angoulême
| access-date = 27 July 2007
}}</ref> He won his last race at [[Lommel]], in August 2007.<ref name="axel-last-race">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.davitamon-lotto.com/site2007/EN_ind_nieuws.php?id=375
 |title=Axel Merckx wins after Tour criterium at Lommel 
 |date=7 August 2007 
 |access-date=7 August 2007 
 |url-status = usurped
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721043954/http://www.davitamon-lotto.com/site2007/EN_ind_nieuws.php?id=375 
 |archive-date=21 July 2009
}}</ref>

His name was on the list of doping tests published by the [[French Senate]] on 24 July 2013 that were collected during the [[1998 Tour de France]] then retested in 2004. Merckx was not one of then 18 riders named as testing positive for [[Erythropoietin|EPO]] but was on a list of 12 named riders whose test results were listed as  "suspicious".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/french-senate-releases-positive-epo-cases-from-1998-tour-de-france|title=French Senate releases positive EPO cases from 1998 Tour de France}}</ref>

Merckx is the owner and [[directeur sportif]] of the {{UCI team code|HBA}} team.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

==Personal life==
Merckx married [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[Triathlon|triathlete]] Jodi Cross in 1997, and they lived in [[Kelowna, British Columbia]]. They have two children, Axana (born 5 May 2001) and Athina Grace (born 29 June 2005).{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}}

As of April 2024, Merckx was in a relationship with American cyclist [[Chloe Dygert]], with whom he lives in Belgium.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/i-want-to-be-the-best-in-the-world-sitting-down-with-chloe-dygert|title='I want to be the best in the world' - sitting down with Chloé Dygert}}</ref>

When his father was made a [[baron]]—a personal title—in Belgium, he also received the hereditary title ''Écuyer'' (in French) or ''[[Jonkheer]]'' (in Dutch). Thereby Axel Merckx has also been ennobled.<ref>[http://www.dhnet.be/print_popup.phtml?section=dhinfos&id=125476 25.000 nobles en Belgique]. La Dernière Heure / Les Sports (DH Net) 11 July 2005.</ref>

==Major results==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
;1992
: 1st Stage 9 [[Tour de l'Avenir]]
;1993
: 2nd [[Seraing–Aachen–Seraing]]
;1994
: 9th [[Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia]]
;1995
: 6th Overall [[La Méditerranéenne|Tour Méditerranéen]]
: 8th Overall [[Danmark Rundt]]
: 8th [[Arnhem–Veenendaal Classic|Veenendaal–Veenendaal]]
: 9th [[Grand Prix Eddy Merckx]]
;1996
: 3rd [[1996 Giro di Lombardia|Giro di Lombardia]]
: 4th [[1996 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1996 UCI Road World Championships|UCI Road World Championships]]
: 6th [[1996 Brabantse Pijl|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 7th [[1996 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
: 10th Overall [[Tour DuPont]]
;1997
: 6th [[1997 Giro di Lombardia|Giro di Lombardia]]
: 9th [[LuK Challenge Chrono|Breitling Grand Prix]] (with [[Jörg Jaksche]])
;1998
: 2nd Overall [[Bayern Rundfahrt]]
::1st Stage 3
: 2nd [[1998 Clásica de San Sebastián|Clásica de San Sebastián]]
: 2nd [[Subida a Urkiola]]
: 6th [[Trofeo Pantalica]]
: 7th [[Klasika Primavera|Gran Premio de Primavera de Amorebieta]]
: 7th [[LuK Challenge Chrono|Breitling Grand Prix]] (with [[Jörg Jaksche]])
: 9th [[Grand Prix Eddy Merckx]]
: 10th Overall [[1998 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
;1999
: 3rd [[Belgium National Road Race Championship|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 4th [[1999 Tour du Haut Var|Tour du Haut Var]]
: 9th Overall [[La Méditerranéenne|Tour Méditerranéen]]
;2000
: 1st [[File:MaillotBélgica.PNG|20px]] [[Belgium National Road Race Championship|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[2000 Tour de la Région Wallonne|Tour de la Région Wallonne]]
: 1st Stage 8 [[2000 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
: 3rd [[Châteauroux Classic]]
: 4th Overall [[Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt]]
: 5th [[2000 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
: 5th [[2000 Tour du Haut Var|Tour du Haut Var]]
: 7th Overall [[La Méditerranéenne|Tour Méditerranéen]]
: 7th [[Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme]]
: 9th Overall [[2000 Volta a Catalunya|Volta a Catalunya]]
: 10th [[2000 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
;2001
: 1st [[Grand Prix de Wallonie]]
: 3rd [[2001 Brabantse Pijl|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 5th [[Trofeo Laigueglia]]
: 7th [[Coppa Sabatini]]
: 7th [[Route Adélie de Vitré]]
: 7th [[LuK Challenge Chrono|EnBW Grand Prix]] (with [[Piotr Wadecki]])
: 9th [[Belgium National Road Race Championship|Road race]], National Road Championships
;2002
: 2nd Overall [[2002 Vuelta a Andalucía|Vuelta a Andalucía]]
: 6th [[Belgium National Road Race Championship|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 6th [[2002 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
;2003
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[Tour de l'Ain]]
: 3rd Overall [[Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt]]
: 3rd Overall [[3-Länder-Tour|Hessen–Rundfahrt]]
: 4th Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
: 10th [[LuK Challenge Chrono|Luk-Cup Bühl]]
;2004
: 3rd [[File:Bronze medal olympic.svg|15px]] [[Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Road race]], [[2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
: 5th [[2004 Brabantse Pijl|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 8th [[Grand Prix Eddy Merckx]]
;2005
: 1st Stage 5 [[2005 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
: 3rd [[2005 Brabantse Pijl|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 4th [[LuK Challenge Chrono|LuK Challenge]] (with [[Marc Wauters]])
{{div col end}}

===Grand Tour general classification results timeline===

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]]
! scope="col" | 1994
! scope="col" | 1995
! scope="col" | 1996
! scope="col" | 1997
! scope="col" | 1998
! scope="col" | 1999
! scope="col" | 2000
! scope="col" | 2001
! scope="col" | 2002
! scope="col" | 2003
! scope="col" | 2004
! scope="col" | 2005
! scope="col" | 2006
! scope="col" | 2007
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey pink.svg|20px|link=|alt=A pink jersey]] [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
|[[1994 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[1995 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[1996 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[1997 Giro d'Italia|19]]
|[[1998 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[1999 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[2000 Giro d'Italia|25]]
|[[2001 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[2002 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[2003 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[2004 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[2005 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|[[2006 Giro d'Italia|DNF]]
|[[2007 Giro d'Italia|50]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[General classification in the Tour de France|Tour de France]]
|[[1994 Tour de France|—]]
|[[1995 Tour de France|—]]
|[[1996 Tour de France|—]]
|[[1997 Tour de France|—]]
|style="background:#ddddff;"|[[1998 Tour de France|10]]
|[[1999 Tour de France|DNF]]
|[[2000 Tour de France|—]]
|[[2001 Tour de France|22]]
|[[2002 Tour de France|28]]
|[[2003 Tour de France|DNF]]
|[[2004 Tour de France|21]]
|[[2005 Tour de France|39]]
|[[2006 Tour de France|30]]
|[[2007 Tour de France|62]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey gold.svg|20px|link=|alt=A gold jersey]] [[List of Vuelta a España general classification winners|Vuelta a España]]
|[[1994 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[1995 Vuelta a España|21]]
|[[1996 Vuelta a España|17]]
|[[1997 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[1998 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[1999 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2000 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2001 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2002 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2003 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2004 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2005 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2006 Vuelta a España|—]]
|[[2007 Vuelta a España|—]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend
|-
! scope="row" | —
| Did not compete
|-
! scope="row" | DNF
| [[Did not finish]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{ProCyclingStats}}
* {{trap-friis|belgium.Merckx}}

{{Belgian National Road Race Championships (men)}}
{{Belgian National Sports Merit Award}}
{{Hagens Berman Axeon riders}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merckx, Axel}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Uccle]]
[[Category:Belgian male cyclists]]
[[Category:Belgian Giro d'Italia stage winners]]
[[Category:Olympic cyclists for Belgium]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Belgium]]
[[Category:Belgian nobility]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in cycling]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Eddy Merckx]]
[[Category:Cyclists from Brussels]]