It is more likely that both men were motivated by economics to ride bikes badged with their names and images.
It is said that, at least initially, Merckx didn't like the idea of seeing his name and image on a bike, and, early on, doubted that such bikes would be marketable.
However, once his name and image were on a bike he rightly didn't care to have the publics attention drawn away from his own name by the manufacturers' logos or name.
Incidently, the famous Colnago Molteni bikes were not authorized by Merckx and may have lead to their subsequent parting. De Rosa did not make a series of Merckx Moltenis aside from the vaunted Molteni Team Bikes. He felt the same way about his name as Merckx!
George
George Hollenberg MD
CT USA
> I believe the Anquetil frames were made my Gitane. IIRC,
> Anquetil rode Gitanes later in his career, after riding Helyetts
> earlier, I think some of his own race bikes were Anquetil-badged
> Gitanes. Perhaps that was what inspired Eddy Merckx to insist
> in riding bikes marked with his own name for most of his career.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
> --- On Sat, 1/24/09, Wyndham Pulman-Jones wrote:
>
> > From: Wyndham Pulman-Jones
> > Subject: [CR] Anquetil branded bikes - info ??? (1967
> 'Anquetil' on eBay)
> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> > Date: Saturday, January 24, 2009, 11:46 AM
> > I haven't been able to find much information about
> > Anquetil branded bikes online. Can anyone shed any light?
> >
> > There's a 1967 Anquetil bike on UK eBay at the moment
> > (No. 270332336610)
> >
> > Wyndham Pulman-Jones
> > Girton, Cambs., UK.
> > _______________________________________________
> _______________________________________________
>
George Hollenberg MD
CT, USA