Belgian cycling great Eddy Merckx is back home after undergoing emergency bowel surgery at the end of March, newspaper Het laatste Nieuws has reported.

The five-times Tour de France winner was taken to the emergency room of the hospital in Jette on March 26, the report on Saturday said.

The 78-year-old was immediately operated on and a large part of his bowel was removed. Merckx, who has lost a lot of weight, is now recovering back home.

Merckx told the newspaper he had woken up with unbearable pain and was taken to hospital by his wife.

The Belgian is the most successful professional cyclist in history.

In addition to his five Tour victories, Merckx also won the Giro d'Italia five times, the world road race crown three times and was winner of numerous classics such as Paris-Roubaix, Milan-Sanremo and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Merckx has repeatedly struggled with health problems in the past.

In 2013, he was fitted with a pacemaker due to a heart defect. In 2019, he worried his fans when he injured his head in a crash on his bike and had to be hospitalised for several days.