# confirmed: Merckx to Team Discovery



## haiku d'etat (Apr 28, 2001)

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/6730.0.html


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## racerx (Jan 29, 2004)

*How old is Merckx Jr.?*



J's Haiku Shop said:


> http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/6730.0.html



I would like to see him go after some of his dad's accomplishments rather than the team set him up soley to win just the Tour de France.


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## russw19 (Nov 27, 2002)

J's Haiku Shop said:


> http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/6730.0.html


Honestly, I think the bigger news in that article is that Roger Hammond is coming to Disco too. Hammond gives them a chance at someone who can actually win a few classics races. If Hincapie supports him, with Merckx as a rouleur, that guy could get the top spot on the podium at Paris-Roubaix this year instead of the 3rd spot. 

Other big breaking news is that David Millar was just stripped of his World TT Title from last year. And Andres Kloden is shopping for a new deal. His manager is Tony Rominger, who was an amazing cyclist, and very astute of the cycling world, so I think he could land on a big team as a top rider. He asked Godefroot for a two year contract extension before the Tour and was denied....so he may be very willing to jump ship. Of course he may have been told no simply because they didn't want the distraction of renegotiating right before the Tour. Usually these things are settled before the Worlds, so I expect we will see some big changes in some of the larger teams soon. With the new rules for the ProTour, I think there will be some big shakeups in the look of some teams.


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

racerx said:


> I would like to see him go after some of his dad's accomplishments rather than the team set him up soley to win just the Tour de France.


Well, the new Pro Tour thing is making it necessary for Postal to be more than just a Tour team, thus the signing of Popovych, and classics riders like Merckx and Hammond.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

*Axel is 32 this year*



racerx said:


> I would like to see him go after some of his dad's accomplishments rather than the team set him up soley to win just the Tour de France.


Axel Merckx is 32 years old. Not to diminish his accomplishments, but Merckx senior's palmares is more than a little beyond his grasp. Axel knows this too, and one should give him a lot of credit for wearing his heart on his sleeve when he trains and competes. He's known as a hard worker, gutsy rider, but just hasn't been able to score a breakthrough win yet. He's a very good classics rider, but not as big a champion as his father.


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## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

*Blasphemy*

A little blasphemy here to stir the pot:

What if Axel is a better rider than his dad was, but the level of competition in the rest of the field is so improved that we can't see it?


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

J's Haiku Shop said:


> http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/6730.0.html


Just my gut reaction:

WTF??? He's not a has-been. He's a never-been who can't carry the weight of his own name.

I'm still pissed at him for all his whining in stage 10 of the tour against Reechard!

francois


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## QUiTSPiNiNArOuND (Mar 15, 2002)

*Merckx pissed....*

Eddy might be a little angry now that his son won't be on his bike, but on an American made Trek, an off the shelf one at that. Also, now that Popyvych is on the team, maybe he can tell us what he likes better, Colnago or Trek.


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## eddymerckx (Jul 9, 2004)

I hear so much about Trek's being such good bikes that maybe Axel riding could be enhanced,sometimes something small as an equiptment change might make the differance,btw I have a Merckx& was lookin around to test a Trek.


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## pedlfoot (Feb 3, 2004)

*I guess this means....*

....LA has one less Axel to grind!


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