Growing up in Belgium with cycling in his blood, Axel Merckx started racing at an early age. He understood the merits of starting young with structured plans and experienced coaching. Axel’s success as a youth rider kickstarted his professional cycling career in 1993. Winner of the 2000 Belgian National Championship, he participated in 10 Tour de France races, finishing as the highest-placed Belgi
an rider six times. Axel’s other accomplishments include winning stages in the Giro d’Italia and Dauphine Libere, as well as winning an Olympic medal in 2004. Axel retired from professional cycling in 2007 and moved with his family to Kelowna, British Columbia – hometown of his wife, Canadian triathlete Jodi Cross. Since his retirement, Axel has dedicated himself to developing young cyclists across North America, particularly in Western Canada. In 2011, in partnership with his wife, Jodi, they created the Axel Merckx Youth Development Foundation (AMYDF), a not-for-profit initiative established to help develop and steward the future of Canada’s young cyclists. Among many of its projects, the AMYDF offers clinics and races each year for young riders across the province of B.C. Most recently, the Red Devils Cycling Team – a branch of the AMYDF – emerged in 2014 out of the observable need for a well-organized, well-structured team program for young cyclists in the region. As a further testament to his passion for developing young cyclists, Axel is also owner and director of Axeon Cycling, a high performance U23 professional cycling team. Through the AMYDF, Axel applies the same principles and support to young, local riders as he does with his Axeon pro cyclists. His resume for developing young talent – 18 of his former development riders are now racing in the Pro Tour ranks – is unparalleled in professional cycling.
