Perhaps because of those odds , one of Landis 's teammates , Axel Merckx of Belgium , set an explosive pace almost immediately on the final slope , but he faded quickly , dropping well behind the group within the first mile .
Axel Merckx /people/person/nationality Belgium
RB IN IN DT NNS , CD IN NNP POS NNS , NNP NNP IN NNP , VBD DT JJ NN RB RB IN DT JJ NN , CC PRP VBD RB , VBG RB IN DT NN IN DT JJ NN .
Axel Merckx
PERSON
Belgium
LOCATION
/people/person/nationality