Olympic Games quest proves quite a ride for Phinney family Mar 26, 2008
He also met Axel Merckx, the son of cycling legend Eddy Merckx. Axel played soccer but switched to cycling at 15. (USA Today -- Sports)
Sandy Casar hits dog, but wins 18th stage of Tour de France Jul 29, 2007
He was followed by Axel Merckx of Belgium and Laurent Lefevre of France. Finally. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)
Casar wins 18th stage of Tour Jul 28, 2007
Casar beat Belgium s Axel Merckx, right, and the Netherlands Michael Boogerd, left, to win [AFP ... In the closing stages Casar attacked on his own, leading on Michael 'Boogie-man" Boogerd of the Netherlands, Jerome Lefevre of France and Axel Merckx of Belgium. The Frenchman said his legs gave way shortly after the red flat signalling one kilometre to the finish line. But as the finish line loomed, Casar, who came a very close second to compatriot Cedric Vasseur last week, dug deep to surge... (Aljazeera.Net)
Belgian works hard to finish last in Tour Jul 28, 2007
" Vanseverant saved a lot of energy Friday, but so did almost everybody else. An early four-man breakaway was allowed to build a 17-minute lead on the rolling 211 kilometers, or 131 miles, from Cahors northwest to Angoul?me. The picture-postcard 18th stage passed chateaus, perched villages, a river speckled with canoes and enormous crowds on a hot and sunny day. At the end, Sandy Casar, a Frenchman with Fran?aise des Jeux and an unbloomed flower of French racing at 28, was first after having... (International Herald Tribune)
A Mobile Pioneer Tackles Doping in Cycling Sep 28, 2006
Stapleton and Rolf Aldag a former T-Mobile rider with a reputation for being clean, who is the team's new sporting director have recruited a mix of promising young riders such as 20-year-old German Gerald Ciolek and veteran 34-year-old Belgian Axel Merckx. But the 27-man squad includes no cycling superstars in the mold of Ullrich, a former Tour winner, who denies the accusations he has used performance-enhancing substances. (BusinessWeek)
Coastal Community News Briefs Aug 8, 2006
SAN DIEGO ---- Canine Companions for Independence will host the upcoming fundraiser "Wheels of Wonder," featuring Floyd Landis and Axel Merckx of the Phonak Hearing Systems cycling team with other cycling celebrities, Oct. 21 and 22. The weekend kicks off with a gala dinner Oct. 21 at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel Guests will enjoy live entertainment, champagne social hour, full course dinner, a live auction and the opportunity to meet some of the hottest celebrities on two wheels. (North County Times)
Landis on verge of Tour triumph Jul 24, 2006
A pep talk from five-time Tour winner and cycling icon Eddy Merckx, the father of his Phonak teammate Axel Merckx, helped. A once-in-a-lifetime ride - "the best performance in the modern history of the Tour" according to race director Jean-Marie Leblanc - revived Landis' sagging chances. (Buffalo News)
Landis’ hopes crashing Jul 20, 2006
Landis finished alongside Phonak teammate Axel Merckx, but only because the American had dropped so far behind. All along, Landis hasn t been in tip-top shape. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Landis follows beaten path Jul 19, 2006
He set a pace that dropped some other podium hopefuls, but Landis was able to answer, surging ahead at one point on the way up the Alps to bridge up to teammate Axel Merckx, who had been in the early breakaway. Merckx passed Landis a water bottle and worked with him in the Kloden-driven group. (The Miami Herald)
Pellizotti wins Giro 10th stage, Basso in lead May 17, 2006
Pellizotti, riding for the Liquigas team, caught Axel Merckx 150 yards from the finish and edged Vladimir Efimkin of Russia and Serguei Yakovlev of Kazakhstan at the line ... Axel Merckx faded toward the end of the uphill straightaway. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- More)
Basso keeps Giro lead May 17, 2006
Italian Franco Pellizotti of Liquigas won the 10th stage of the Tour of Italy on Tuesday after leading a bunch of riders in chasing down Phonak's Axel Merckx just before the finish line. Italian favourite Ivan Basso, of CSC, retained the race leader's pink jersey ahead of Wednesday's rest day. (iAfrica.com)
