Eddy Merckx visit - pictures

The factory surprised in that it was no musuem with only low key references to Eddy Merck's vast history of success and adventure, the walls do hint at his legend, but space is equally given over to riders who have won on his bikes.

More about Merckx - at www.multimit.com/fkm/eddymerckx/index.shtml

There are two Merckx routes we rode the factory loop	Plenty of cobbles
Graeme Freestone takes a call	Andrea Hofling loved the cobbles so much she had to give them a hug (No, she didn't crash)
The Merckx Way took us down a forest road	Graeme Freestone and Andrea pose out side the Merckx factory
Graeme and John get their pose sorted	John was given a team bike for the ride & he really wanted to keep it
On the way home we hit the Brugge Ice Faor - lots of chocolate and Gluehwein	A painting of Eddy Merckx welcomes you to the factory
The latest Merck TT bike	Robbie McEwen's Tour yellow jersey
A number of paintings hang on the walls	Merckx bikes now express his ethos
Carbon SXM frame	Lance Armstrongs' World Championship jersey
Ready to be shipped frames	Aluminium frames coated with primer await painting
Carbon frames just before the rear triangle is fitted	Top of the range carbon frames will next be polished & then coated with laquer
The jigs catch the eye, as they highlight that all frames get that personal touch	Little heaps of aluminium on this machine tool.
One piece carbon wishbones make for a stronger rear end	Painting of the bikes is taken very seriously and frames are treated with individual care. These frames are masked ready for paint.
In this pile is a Flanders winning bike, a Tour TT, plus more & all with history. But a corner of the factory floor is there home and not a glass case in a musuem.	Almost ready to be sent off to some lucky soul
We got to ride a pros race bike