The feature-length story behind Eddy Merckx’s world record ride into history.

 
 

Eddy Merckx is the world’s greatest ever cyclist.

Nicknamed The Cannibal, he won 525 races, including 5x Tours de France and dominated cycling for over 10 years.

Three years after a crash that almost killed him, on October 25, 1972, The Cannibal broke the 1 hour world record, setting an impossible distance of 49.431 kilometres.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historic ride, The Cannibal is a feature-length documentary telling the story of that day and the triumphs and tragedies that surrounded it.

Keep reading to see how you can be a part of it.

“The hardest ride I’ve ever done”

In 1972, Eddy decided to risk it all for the one hour record. Defying his sponsors who wanted to ride in Milan, he spent $20,000 of his own money travelling to Mexico City to ride at over 7,000 feet above sea level.

Heavy rain delayed him, but on the fourth day, he set off at a blistering pace. There were just 2 seconds difference between his first and last kilometre times.

"I will never try it again,” he said right afterwards. “There are those who told me that if I came here to Mexico I wouldn't feel the pedals. I assure you, I could feel the pedals!”

 
 

Meet The Cannibal

If you were racing against Eddy, it was almost impossible to win. Many of the records Eddy set during his career still stand today:

  • Most race wins by a professional cyclist: 525

  • Most wins in one season: 54

  • Most stage wins in the Tour de France: 34

  • Most stage wins in one Tour de France: 8 (1970 and 1974)

  • Most days wearing the Tour de France yellow jersey: 96

He was also the only rider to ever win the yellow, green and polka-dot jerseys in the same Tour de France (1969). If they’d had the white jersey back then, he would have won that too.

Unstoppable. Unbeatable. Unrepeatable.

Eddy’s victories included:

Get involved in the film. Get your name in the credits.

Eddy Merckx’s achievements are right up there with Ali, Pelé or Senna.

But his story is largely unknown. 

As keen cycling fans, we want to change this. And we’re sure you do too, especially if it means you can get your name in the credits.

We want to tell his story without any bias and the only way to do this is to fund it independently. So we’re teaming up with British Cycling to organize sponsored rides that will crowdfund the film’s production through gofundme.

Here’s how you can get involved and support the film as a club, a team, or an individual:

  • Get sponsored for how many kilometres you can ride in an hour

  • Get sponsored to ride a total of 525 kilometres to honour the amount of races Eddy won in his career

  • Donate what you can afford

If you personally raise or donate over £100, we’ll thank you by featuring your name in the credits at the end of the movie.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be involved in telling the story of the world’s greatest cyclist: Eddy Merckx.

Ride over to our gofundme page to get more information and sign up.

 
 
 
 

6 Day Films is the result of 30 years of filmmaking and a lifetime’s love of cycling. 

The Cannibal has been a long-term dream of founders Lee Donaldson and Simon Hardy.  

The 50th anniversary of Eddy’s historic ride, coming up on October 25, 2022, gives us the perfect opportunity to tell this incredible story.

 

Lee Donaldson

Lee has been a successful director of commercials, pop promos, features films and documentaries for over 30 years. 

Credits include work for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky, PlayStation, News International, Levis, Fiat, MG Cars, Anadin and many others.

Lee has also worked as a producer, writer, cameraperson and editor. He’s won numerous awards including a Cannes Lion for Nintendo and he makes excellent tea and coffee. 

 

Simon Hardy

Award winning writer Simon Hardy has spent over 25 years collaborating with some of the world’s biggest brands on their advertising and digital communications.

Clients have included Nike, Disney and Starbucks in the US, and PlayStation, News International and Eurostar in the UK.

Based in Canada, Simon is also an Advisory Board Member for the Vancouver Film School and is occasionally chased by bears while mountain biking.

 

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