With two yellow jersey riders abandoning in this year’s Tour de France it’s apt that Ed Hood takes a look at the career of Luis Ocaa who famously crashed out of the 1971 Tour. Ed has never hidden the fact that he is a big Eddy Merckx fan, but he is not exclusive to other riders and anyone who can scare Merckx into thinking he was not invincible has to be given a lot of kudos. The Ocaa story is of great talent and a lot of “what if’s”, the brightest flame burns quickest.On the day the 2015 Tour de France started in Utrecht, I finished a book about one of the race’s all time greats – not one of those on five wins; Anquetil, Hinault, Indurain or Merckx. This man won just one Tour; but it’s not for that win he’s remembered for rather for a glorious defeat which old Merckx-istas like me still deconstruct and debate into the wee small hours in the bars of Gent.Luis Ocaa is the man and Carlos Arribas’ book is titled simply; ‘Ocaa.’There’s just one race picture, on the cover – not of the handsome Spaniard in his pomp in yellow on the tops at the head of some royal group in Le Tour or hunched at his stylish best against the watch. No, this picture is of a wasted Ocaa in the mountains staring down at the front tyre of his intricately drilled out Motobecane; one finger points ahead as his big...
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