--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never been that bothered by numbers…" description: "\"I've never been that bothered by numbers; the history of cycling evolves and follows its own course.\" — Eddy Merckx" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg" --- # I've never been that bothered by numbers; the history of… ![“I've never been that bothered by numbers; the history of cycling evolves and follows its own course.” quote by Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg) > “I've never been that bothered by numbers; the history of cycling evolves and follows its own course.” [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He expresses a casual indifference toward numbers, noting that cycling history follows its own natural progression independent of precise data. **In simple terms:** He isn’t concerned with numbers; cycling evolves naturally. Key Takeaway Accept that some fields progress without strict metrics. Themes sports history philosophy of sport personal attitude legacy Mood reflective philosophical casual Type personal sport When to use this quote - training programs - historical research - media coverage - fan engagement - event planning Key Concepts cycling evolution statistics vs. intuition sport culture Questions to Reflect On - How does intuition shape athletic performance? - When is data essential in sports? A Different Perspective Overreliance on data can overlook human elements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bothered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothered/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Cycling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cycling/) [Cycling Evolves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cycling-evolves-5988798/) [Follows Course](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follows-course-492133/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Cycling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-cycling-5988799/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Numbers History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers-history-5988800/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) ## Related quotes > [“She who follows another’s course, finds a sure path to her own remorse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kramer/she-who-follows-another-s-course-finds-a-sure-path-to-her-own-remorse/) [John Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kramer/) > [Life simply is. It follows its course. Give yourself to the moment. Let life reveal itself to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/life-simply-is-it-follows-its-course-give-yourself-to-the-moment-let/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [When life follows the course of our desires, it is easy to be swept along without thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackwell/when-life-follows-the-course-of-our-desires-it-is-easy-to-be-swept/) [Elizabeth Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackwell/) > [The great river follows its own course before joining the vast sea. Likewise, the soul follows equally varied routes and passes through different stages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-luiz-moreira/the-great-river-follows-its-own-course-before-joining-the-vast-sea/) [Andre Luiz Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-luiz-moreira/) > [I agree it is the most important, but cycling is not only about Tour. If everybody thinks like Armstrong, there will be only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-agree-it-is-the-most-important-but-cycling-is-not-only-about-tour/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I do not want to continue cycling until I am 35. I want to make something else out of my life, too. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-do-not-want-to-continue-cycling-until-i-am-35-i-want-to-make/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [The only event that counts is the Tour, it's the only race that all the media go to. It's far more important than it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/the-only-event-that-counts-is-the-tour-it-s-the-only-race-that-all/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Cyclists live with pain. 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How many people in the world have never been on a bike? Not many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/cycling-is-a-sport-of-the-people-how-many-people-in-the-world-have/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Miracles can sometimes happen in cycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/miracles-can-sometimes-happen-in-cycling/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Cycling is a good school for life. It makes you hard and gives you ambition, but you can never say you've arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/cycling-is-a-good-school-for-life-it-makes-you-hard-and-gives-you/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/don-t-buy-upgrades-ride-up-grades/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## More by Eddy Merckx > [You need talent as a rider and I think I had that in my genes. But I think I also had a talent for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/you-need-talent-as-a-rider-and-i-think-i-had-that-in-my-genes-but-i/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Absolutely, in stage races, Froome is better than Eddy Merckx. Maybe he can win five, six Tours de France, but my focus wasn't only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/absolutely-in-stage-races-froome-is-better-than-eddy-merckx-maybe-he/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I didn't win any bunch sprints. But I won in solo breakaways, I won time-trials, I won in the mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-didn-t-win-any-bunch-sprints-but-i-won-in-solo-breakaways-i-won/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I always had and I still have that special desire in me to be the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-always-had-and-i-still-have-that-special-desire-in-me-to-be-the-best/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I'm not saying that every time I race I go to the very limit of my strength. But when the opportunity appears I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-m-not-saying-that-every-time-i-race-i-go-to-the-very-limit-of-my/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I can tell you I preferred my era. Yes, they make much more money now but I preferred my cycling. The passion for racing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-can-tell-you-i-preferred-my-era-yes-they-make-much-more-money-now/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I sleep very well, thank you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-sleep-very-well-thank-you/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Doping has to be fought, cheats must be unmasked, abuse should be punished but all this should remain human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/doping-has-to-be-fought-cheats-must-be-unmasked-abuse-should-be/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [It's difficult for him, carrying the name. But Axel is doing what he likes to do, and for me, if Axel's happy, I'm also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/it-s-difficult-for-him-carrying-the-name-but-axel-is-doing-what-he/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Cycling is a good school for life. It makes you hard and gives you ambition, but you can never say you've arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/cycling-is-a-good-school-for-life-it-makes-you-hard-and-gives-you/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [The most important thing is that you're the best of your generation and I can say that I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/the-most-important-thing-is-that-you-re-the-best-of-your-generation/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Sometimes it's strange being me. I travel the world meeting people, I'm surrounded with friends and my life is full, but all the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/sometimes-it-s-strange-being-me-i-travel-the-world-meeting-people-i-m/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I think I was three or four when I first rode and four when I first crashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-think-i-was-three-or-four-when-i-first-rode-and-four-when-i-first/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [No sport is 100 per cent clean - I think 95 per cent of the cyclists are clean. In the normal world, not everybody is clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/no-sport-is-100-per-cent-clean-i-think-95-per-cent-of-the-cyclists/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Miracles can sometimes happen in cycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/miracles-can-sometimes-happen-in-cycling/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) [Explore all 95 Eddy Merckx quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## More Bothered quotes > [Life is such unutterable hell, solely because it is sometimes beautiful. If we could only be miserable all the time, if there could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-such-unutterable-hell-solely-because-it-is-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never bothered about keeping track.Every now and then someone records one of my songs, and I get credit for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-never-bothered-about-keeping-track-every-now-and-then-someone/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/he-went-to-paris-looking-for-answers-to-questions-that-bothered-him/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Many people think of me as a perfectionist, someone who polishes and shines each song and performance. I've always been bothered by that assumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collins/many-people-think-of-me-as-a-perfectionist-someone-who-polishes-and/) [Phil Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collins/) > [People think unless you have loops and electronics and so on, you must be in your 50s. I quite like a lot of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/people-think-unless-you-have-loops-and-electronics-and-so-on-you-must/) [Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/) > [When your house is on fire, you cant be bothered with the neighbors. Or, as we say in Chess, if your King is under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/when-your-house-is-on-fire-you-cant-be-bothered-with-the-neighbors-or/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Sometimes you have to distance yourself from people. If they care, they will notice and be bothered. If they dont, you will know where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-distance-yourself-from-people-if-they-care-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m merely talking about learning to be less bothered by the actions of people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carlson/i-m-merely-talking-about-learning-to-be-less-bothered-by-the-actions/) [Richard Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carlson/) > [To combat social awkwardness, I would just act like I couldn't be bothered - that kind of aloof persona or aloof demeanor. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/to-combat-social-awkwardness-i-would-just-act-like-i-couldn-t-be/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Quietly, President Obama has done warrantless wire tapping. And it was hardly covered. I don't know if any of the mainstream press bothered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/quietly-president-obama-has-done-warrantless-wire-tapping-and-it-was/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [“I'm sorry I bothered you, Susan. I'm just having a tough time. That's all. Have a good one," I said and walked away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-sorry-i-bothered-you-susan-i-m-just-having-a-tough-time-that-s/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. 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I ain't doing nothing cause I ain't bothered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tate/am-i-bothered-am-i-bothered-though-i-ain-t-doing-nothing-cause-i-ain/) [Catherine Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tate/) [Browse all 599 Bothered quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothered/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never been that bothered by numbers; the history of cycling evolves and follows its own course.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eddy Merckx" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers-the-history-of-cycling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bothered" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers-the-history-of-cycling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/eddy-merckx-7014_bothered_i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers_775967.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never been that bothered by numbers; the history of cycling evolves and follows its own course.” — Eddy Merckx", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eddy Merckx", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never been that bothered by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers-the-history-of-cycling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-ve-never-been-that-bothered-by-numbers-the-history-of-cycling/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```