This would be the first time that a bike offered as "used by Merckx in the xy TdF" at eBay turns out as genuine. I've seen at least half a dozen in the last two years at the german eBay alone. Most of them recognizable immedeately as something completely different, not even half decent fakes, just old bikes (usually Shimano or Campagnolo low end equipped). Although this one comes close several facts should ring the alarm bell, besides the wrong spelling of Merckx' name. The components are not what is claimed, you can see at least post 1978 skewer nuts, "Brev." was later than "Patent" not the other way around etc... Even when the seller admits that the components are not the original ones, his statement that everything is period correct from 1972 is false, allowing doubts about the rest of the text. Last but not least, if an eBay seller forwards all responsibility about the origin of a collectible by saying he was told so by the guy who sold him the bike, you can usually forget it. Nevertheless it's a nice Colnago, but I woudn't spend a cent extra for this virtual Merckx-Mojo.
BTW: What about a "most ridiculous eBay descriptions?" list at Dale's page next to the Market Hights? I can offer an auction where the seller tried to sell the original bike Indurain won his first Tour with with a very long text how he got the bike and a blurry photo where he himself posed next to a bike. The high res picture he sent to potential buyers (next to insulting eMails to people who questioned his long story) unveiled a pretty stupid looking guy holding a cheap mid 80s gas pipe clunker bike equipped with Shimano Exage parts and a Banesto sticker.
Dirk
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Dirk Feeken
Heidelberg
Germany
Maybe now you can have one of Eddy's bikes. Check out this one: <A
HREF="http://ebay.com/<blah>
http://ebay.com/
Cheers
Bob Freeman
Seattle