Axel Merckx is cycling royalty, the son of the legendary Eddy Merckx, who was nicknamed "the Cannibal" for his relentless competitiveness and is widely regarded as the greatest rider in history. Axel aspired to be a soccer start when he was young and got a relatively late start in the family business. But he was quite successful in his own right as a professional cyclist. He rode in 8 Tours de France (some with Lance Armstrong on Team Motorola in the 1990s), won a stage of the Giro d' Italia and earned an Olympic bronze medal for his native Belgium in 2004. Today, as the owner and director of Team Hagens Berman Axeon, he helps prepare young cyclists for success at his sport's highest level. In this fascinating and wide-ranging interview, Axel shares what makes a great cyclist, and what he says was his proudest achievement as a pro (it's not the Olympic medal) as well as his darkest moment on the bike, when he had to drop out of the Tour de France while climbing the grueling Alpe d'Huez. He reflects on the extraordinary innovations in sports nutrition since he rode while eating sandwiches, and reveals what he learned about motivation from Armstrong and how he applies those secrets with his team. He also recalls, in vivid detail, the punishing rides he suffered through with his father, who remained the Cannibal even with his young son. Finally, Axel touches on an issue front and center for a lot of riders: safety. You'll hear how he handles the increasingly frequent and sometimes hostile encounters with cars in British Columbia, where he lives and rides, mostly recreationally. Even if you're not a cyclist, this conversation will give you some insights for building an inspiring and maybe, in some small way, a legendary athletic life for yourself.