BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 14, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Eddy Merckx, the most successful cycling racer ever, is back in hospital for an operation to treat complications for a new hip, sources close to the Belgian great said Monday.

Merckx, 80, fractured his hip after falling off his bike last December.
A titanium prosthesis was fitted, but that was subsequently replaced by a cemented version, with fresh problems arising from this one.

The five-time winner of the Tour de France is expected to remain in hospital for around a fortnight.

Merckx won five victories in the Italian Giro to go with his five on the Tour de France as well as one victory in the Spanish Vuelta. He also won a host of one-day classics and three world titles.

Merckx also suffered a heavy fall in the autumn of 2019, forcing him to spend several days in hospital.