CPH:DOX 2026 toโ Honor Cycling โLegend โEddy Merckx with โDocumentary Premiere
COPENHAGEN, โDenmarkโ – โฃThe 2026 edition of CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen โฃInternational Documentary Film Festival, will celebrateโ Belgianโ cycling icon Eddy Merckx โwith a Danish premiere screening of Merckx – Raceโข of a Champion. The โfestival, running March 11-22, will showcase the documentaryโ alongside โa discussion featuring the “cafe Eddy” podcast hosts, Bastian Emil goldschmidt โคand Brian Holm, exploring Merckx’s legacy and the โคquestion of whetherโ heโฃ is theโค greatest cyclist of all time.
The โคfilm, directed by Christopheโข Hermans andโข boris โTilquin, chronicles โMerckx’s career, detailing his relentless pursuit of โขexcellence and the physical and mental toll itโข took.A synopsis describesโ the documentary โขas “a film about suffering and willpower,” examining the highs and lowsโค of a career โmarked by both unparalleled success and controversy.
Following the copenhagen premiere, DOX:Danmark, CPH:DOX’s nationwide festival โcomponent, will bring Merckx – Raceโ of a Champion to five cinemasโ across Denmark, โคaccompanied by discussions with Goldschmidt and Holm.
The documentaryโ utilizes โคarchival footageโค to โillustrateโฃ Merckx’s rise to prominence, acknowledgingโ the โchallengesโข he faced, including doping allegations, crashes, and periods ofโ public disapproval. According to aโฃ synopsis, “When he triumphed, he unitedโค Belgium. When he lost,the whole nation turned its back on him.” Merckx earned the nickname “the Cannibal” for hisโ competitive drive, aโ trait that concurrently inspired admiration and fueled jealousy.
CPH:DOX welcomed over 150,000 attendeesโ in 2025.โค organizersโฃ revealed on Thursday that the full 2026 program, to be unveiled in February, will feature โdocumentaries offering diverse perspectives: โฃ”True to tradition, the programโฃ will be packed with โdocumentaries that shed light on the โขworld we live in, โseen from scientific, artistic, power-critical, human,โข young,โค experienced, unshakeable,โ fantastically โขfunny, and completely absurd perspectives.”