Belgian cycling titan Eddy Merckx, 79, fell during a bike ride on Monday and will require hip surgery, Belgian media reported.

The Fall and Injury

The "Cannibal," the most successful road racer of all time with five victories in both the Tour de France and the Italian Giro as well as one victory in the Spanish Vuelta, a host of one-day classics, and three world titles, lost control of his bike and fell in Mechelen, breaking a hip.

Emergency services rushed him to hospital, and a hip operation is being scheduled at the Herentals hospital in northern Belgium.

Family Reactions

"He slid into a corner without contact," his sister told Belgian public broadcaster VRT. "He immediately felt intense pain."

"He will need a new artificial hip," she added.

"It was a stupid accident," Merckx's wife Claudine told Belgian daily Het Nieuwsblad. "Fortunately he wasn't alone because he was in a lot of pain."

A History of Accidents

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