The Herentals hospital, where the 79-year-old underwent a hip replacement on Tuesday, said in a statement that "a full recovery is expected" and that Merckx could be back on his bike in a few weeks.

“But age is the great equalizer and humbles us all. Now, I’m a world-class patient in a bed convalescing from a hip replacement like 450,000 other Americans every year.” Kareem Abdul ...