That book can't be right, since Merckx and Ocana both started the Tour the very next year, 1972, when Merckx won for the 4th time. Beginning of stage 14, Ocana was in 2nd place, 8 minutes down, when bronchitis forced him to abandon.
Aldo Ross
47F and lovely sunrise
Monroe, Ohio
> I read in a book about Merckx that he stood out of the Tour de France the
\r?\n> next year Ocana participated because he did not feel it was right that he
\r?\n> beat Ocana, he felt that the Tour should have been Ocana's that year.