Eddy Merckx turns 75 today. The man who accomplished the impossible on a bicycle spoke about himself in an interview with Pier Augusto Stagi for Avvenire , revealing his most hidden side, that of feelings: “The first real blow came in 1983, when my father passed away . I'm 38 years old. I have everything, but I suddenly feel exposed and defenseless. It's as if my eternal youth had suddenly ended there. What have I learned from life? Many things, if you want to learn. For example, you measure yourself against the small everyday things, even if we often think that only the big ones count. Many friends have already left , and it certainly doesn't do any good for morale ." On his career: "I got hungry while eating. Until the daughter of a rider nicknamed me "the Cannibal ." Because - she said - I only left crumbs to my opponents. I never left anything to Gimondi , because I've never given gifts to anyone. What Felice brought home, he did with his strength and his intelligence. And Felice was strong and intelligent. But above all he was a friend. A great friend .