On June 17th, Eddy Merckx, the most victorious rider of all time, will turn 80 years old. And for his birthday, Toon Claes, a friend, Eddy's personal doctor and sports surgeon, has organized a special ride on Mont Ventoux, scheduled for June 28th.

THE CANNIBAL. This is "La Cannibale", a charity bike ride for cycling enthusiasts around and on Mont Ventoux in homage to Merckx, complete with a birthday celebration. Merckx will blow out 80 candles and hopes to be there on his bicycle, but with his hip rehabilitation, he would be content even with a walk on the mythical mountain.

Claes knows everything about Merckx and Mont Ventoux and has written a book on the subject and holds the record with ten climbs in a single day in 2007.

Several months remain until June 28th, and everyone wants "La Cannibale" to be a special day. "This day will be a tribute to Eddy. There's no better way to pay homage than to ride with him," explained Dr. Claes, the race's creator. "Eddy has many supporters who carry him deep in their hearts, and a day like this means a lot to them, and all proceeds will go to the To Walk Again Foundation."

HISTORY. Mont Ventoux is an important symbol, one of cycling's iconic climbs: when you're the first to reach its peak, you rightfully enter the sport's history. First tackled in the Tour in 1952, it has seen the triumph and defeat of many champions, and also the death of Tom Simpson in 1967, just 2 kilometers from the finish line.

Eddy Merckx also left his mark there: in 1970, when the Tour returned to Mont Ventoux for the first time after the Briton's death, the Cannibal attacked at the foot of the climb and before crossing the finish line of the fourteenth stage, placed at the mountain's summit, he passed by Simpson's commemorative stele, took off his cap and made the sign of the cross to pay tribute.

"The Ventoux is truly special, and when you're racing, you can see it from far away. I remember that silence reigned in the peloton when we started to glimpse it. The Ventoux commands respect, it's like a Calvary."

Merckx won the 1970 Ventoux stage with a 1'11" advantage over Vandenbossche. After the finish, the Cannibal had a health crisis and was taken away with oxygen and in an ambulance, but this did not prevent him from stopping and winning his second Tour de France.

"I tackled it from the Bedoin side, and it was very emotional. We had lost our team manager Giacotto a few days earlier, and I was racing with a black armband. Then I passed by Simpson's stele, who was my teammate. I took off my cap in respect and made the sign of the cross. I won the Ventoux stage when I already had the yellow jersey, which meant a lot."

TODAY. Age advances, but the Flemish rider is optimistic and, even if more cautiously, continues to do the same things as before. "Turning 80 doesn't mean stopping. If you're healthy, it's not a problem. Aging is normal, and I put things into perspective. I try to take care of myself and my family. That's the most important thing."

The Cannibal hopes to be on his bike on June 28th, but first he must complete his leg recovery. Last December, Merckx fell while cycling and underwent hip replacement surgery. "I had gone for a walk, and it started to drizzle. Then, crossing the tracks in Hombeek, I suddenly found myself on the ground. I immediately understood that I had broken my hip. I couldn't stand straight and had pain I had never experienced before," the great champion recounted.

In the past year, Eddy has undergone two surgeries, one on his intestine and another on his hip, which is why his recovery is slower.

"This week I had a check-up with the surgeon who operated on me in Herentals. The situation is still far from being resolved. The muscles are gone; I need to train them again to improve further. I'm better, but not yet as I would have liked."

Among the grand tour men in Belgium, there's Remco Evenepoel, a rider Merckx meets in Anversa when he goes for physiotherapy. Between the two, there is now respect, and the Cannibal thinks the young Flemish rider can still improve and thus dream of winning the Tour de France one day.

"I meet Evenepoel when I do rehabilitation in Antwerp. We greet each other; he's busy with his physiotherapists, I with mine. He's doing well. He can't wait to go to training camp but still has the aftermath of a serious injury. Regarding the Tour, last year he finished third. At the moment, Pogacar and Vingegaard are still slightly ahead of him. But Remco can still improve: now he's dealing with an injury, which also means he could have more energy for the Tour."