BRUSSELS -- Cycling great Eddy Merckx broke a hip in a crash while bike riding, Belgian media reported.

The Het Nieuwsblad newspaper, quoting his family, said the 79-year-old Merckx would undergo surgery at Herentals hospital. Other Belgian media also reported Merckx's crash.

Merckx is regarded as the greatest cyclist ever. He won five Tour de France titles and three world championships.

Known as "The Cannibal" for his appetite for winning, Merckx also won five Giro d'Italia titles, one Spanish Vuelta and a string of one-day races, including all five Monument classics.