Eddy Merckx: “I call him my darling Jacky (Ickx)”

The most popular Belgian athlete - he was crowned sportsman of the XNUMXth century in his country - is also a sixty-year-old friend of Jacky Ickx. An unwavering friendship, a common admiration between two men who have, each in their own right, marked their sport in a unique way to the point that never again will their respective records risk being equaled.

Published on 21/09/2022 à 12:55

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Eddy Merckx: “I call him my darling Jacky (Ickx)”

Porsche brought together Eddy Merckx and Jacky Ickx for a film in 2014 © Porsche

This article can be found in our Collector Jacky Ickx. 102 pages which retrace the career of the Belgian Champion! He is availableavailable on newsstands and in our online store in version paper et PRESENCE.

Do you remember your first meeting with Jacky Ickx?

Bien sûr. C’était en mars 1963. Je n’avais pas encore 18 ans (Eddy Merckx est né le 17 juin 1945. Ndlr). J’habitais toujours chez mes parents à Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Bruxelles) et, forcément, je n’avais pas encore le permis de conduire contrairement à Jacky, né 5 mois et 16 jours plus tôt que moi (le 1er janvier 1945. Ndlr). À cette époque, j’étais connu des spécialistes seulement. Il est vrai que Jacques, le papa de Jacky, était journaliste