Eddy Schepers
The ultimate cycling lieutenant, whose selfless strength powered champions like Stephen Roche to historic victories in the Grand Tours.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Belgian cyclist·Birthday: December 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Eddy Schepers built a formidable 13-year career not on personal glory, but on the art of the perfect assist. A powerhouse Belgian domestique, his engine and tactical intelligence were prized by some of the sport's biggest teams and stars. He began his apprenticeship in the team of the great Eddy Merckx before becoming an indispensable part of the Carrera squad. There, he played a pivotal role in one of cycling's epic tales: the 1987 season where his teammate Stephen Roche won the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship. Schepers's relentless work in the mountains and on the flat stages was instrumental in those triumphs. In a sport that venerates winners, Schepers earned deep respect as the consummate team player, a rider whose legacy is woven into the yellow and pink jerseys of others.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Eddy was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Eddy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a key domestique for Stephen Roche during Roche's historic Triple Crown victory (Giro, Tour, World Championship) in 1987.
- Rode as a professional for top teams including C&A (Merckx's team), Carrera, and Fagor–MBK.
- Competed in the road race at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal for Belgium.
- Finished in the top 20 of the Giro d'Italia general classification multiple times while supporting team leaders.
Did You Know?
He was named after cycling champion Eddy Merckx, which he said felt like a destiny to become a cyclist.
He was known for his exceptionally high cadence (pedaling speed) while climbing.
After retirement, he managed the Mapei cycling team's development squad.
He rode in support of multiple Grand Tour winners, including Roche and later, Miguel Indurain at the Banesto team.
“My job was to put my leader in the right place at the right time.”
