The story behind the 525, a performance racing bike for winners
525 is an iconic number in cycling. Every seasoned sports enthusiast knows that it refers to the staggering number of victories Eddy Merckx achieved in his career. For us, 525 was an obvious choice for the competitive bike's name.
The victory of the then 19-year-old Eddy Merckx on May 11, 1965, in the GP Vilvoorde is widely considered his first professional win. This triumph didn't come out of nowhere, as Merckx had already become an amateur world champion, but his career was briefly put on hold due to military service. A year later, Merckx joined Peugeot and claimed his first monument with the victory in Milan-Sanremo. He would go on to win La Primavera six times.
After that, Merckx couldn't stop winning. In 1967, he secured his first of three world titles, and in 1969, he was hailed as a hero in Belgium for securing the first Tour de France victory in 30 years. In the 1970s, Merckx won one out of every three races he entered and became the greatest cyclist of all time.
The victory of the then 19-year-old Eddy Merckx on May 11, 1965, in the GP Vilvoorde is widely considered his first professional win. This triumph didn't come out of nowhere, as Merckx had already become an amateur world champion, but his career was briefly put on hold due to military service. A year later, Merckx joined Peugeot and claimed his first monument with the victory in Milan-Sanremo. He would go on to win La Primavera six times.
After that, Merckx couldn't stop winning. In 1967, he secured his first of three world titles, and in 1969, he was hailed as a hero in Belgium for securing the first Tour de France victory in 30 years. In the 1970s, Merckx won one out of every three races he entered and became the greatest cyclist of all time.
Records
Merckx's palmares is etched in collective memory and is actually too long to list. With 5 overall victories and 34 stage wins in the Tour, he shares the record and won almost every race except Paris-Tours. The final count stopped at 525 victories. The Criterium of Ruien was the Cannibal's last triumph.
Half a century later, Merckx is still omnipresent in the cycling world. He has a monument on the Stockeu and a statue in Meensel-Kiezegem, a bike route from Meensel, a cobblestone section in Paris-Roubaix, and, of course, a bike brand named after him. Our performance bike logically received the name 525, a bike for winners.
For more information about the 525, click here.
Merckx's palmares is etched in collective memory and is actually too long to list. With 5 overall victories and 34 stage wins in the Tour, he shares the record and won almost every race except Paris-Tours. The final count stopped at 525 victories. The Criterium of Ruien was the Cannibal's last triumph.
Half a century later, Merckx is still omnipresent in the cycling world. He has a monument on the Stockeu and a statue in Meensel-Kiezegem, a bike route from Meensel, a cobblestone section in Paris-Roubaix, and, of course, a bike brand named after him. Our performance bike logically received the name 525, a bike for winners.
For more information about the 525, click here.
