Eddy Merckx fell during a bike ride and broke his hip and was taken to a hospital in Herental, Belgium, for surgery.

He was riding on a road west of Mechelen when he fell to the pavement. His wife, Claudine Merckx, told Het Nieuwsblad that it was a “stupid accident.” [Claudine Merckx told Het Nieuwsblad, “No other road users were involved, Eddie just slipped and fell.

“Luckily he was not alone. He knew immediately what had happened. His suspicions were confirmed at the hospital. Eddie will now have to undergo surgery.”

Merckx is widely regarded as the most successful athlete in the history of men's professional cycling and was nicknamed “The Cannibal” for his aggression and dominance during his racing career. His accidents made headlines, especially in Belgium.

His 525 victories include 11 Grand Tour wins, including five Tour de France victories; he won all five Monument Classics, set an hour record in Mexico, and won three road world championships and every major one-day race except Paris-Tour.

The 79-year-old was struck hard to the ground while riding on the Bankstraat in Hombeek, just north of his home near Brussels, west of Mechelen. He was the only cyclist involved.

“He skidded on a curve. He was immediately in severe pain and was rushed to the hospital. He will be fitted with a new artificial hip,” his sister told Sporza.

It is not known if the weather was a factor in the accident, as the area was usually overcast and the temperature was nearly 5°C (41°F) cooler.

Belgian media reported that the medical facility to which Merckx was taken on Monday was the same one that treated Remco Evenpole (Sudar-Quickstep), who broke his collarbone in a training crash a week ago.

In April of this year, Merckx was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery for stomach pain and had part of his intestine removed due to a bowel obstruction.

Three months later, Merckx was back in the spotlight when Mark Cavendish (Astana Cazacstan) broke the Tour de France record of 34 stage wins and took his 35th stage win in Saint-Vulba. Merckx congratulated Cavendish in a social media post.