BRUSSELS: Belgian cycling great Eddy Merckx, who fractured his hip after falling off his bike on Monday, is expected to be back on his feet on Wednesday after being fitted with a total hip prosthesis.

The Herentals hospital, where the 79-year-old underwent a hip replacement on Tuesday, said in a statement that “a full recovery is expected” and that Merckx could be back on his bike in a few weeks. “From now on, I’ll be riding with two little stabilizer wheels,” the five-time Tour de France winner joked. Merckx will begin his rehabilitation Wednesday “with the possibility of immediately placing the entire weight of the body on the operated leg”, the hospital said. “The doctor told me that the operation went well,” Merckx told the daily Het Laatste Nieuws.

“They put a new hip in. The pain isn’t too bad at the moment. On Monday, it was enormous, but with the operation, it’s better. The “Cannibal” admitted he had been “scared” at the time of his fall. “On the railway track at Hombeek (near Mechelen), my rear wheel suddenly slipped. I fell on my hip and couldn’t stand up again,” “Fortunately, some passers-by were there. Otherwise it would have been a disaster. I was scared, yes.”

His wife Claudine called it “a stupid accident”. Merckx is the most successful road racer of all time with five victories in the Italian Giro to go with his five on the Tour de France as well as one victory in the Spanish Vuelta. He also won a host of one-day classics and three world titles. Merckx also suffered a heavy fall in the autumn of 2019, forcing him to spend several days in hospital. — AFP