Conversation so far:
What happened in 1973 involving Eddy Merckx?
An illness prevented Eddy Merckx from taking part in the Milan–San Remo at the start of the 1973 calendar.
Was Eddy Merckx hospitalized?
On 13 October 2019, Eddy Merckx was hospitalised after a cycling accident, having suffered a haemorrhage and being unconscious for a while. He was released a week later.
What happened after the illness that Eddy Merckx had?
During a span of nineteen days, Eddy Merckx won four classics including Omloop Het Volk, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and Paris–Roubaix.
Did Eddy Merckx become ill again?
The 1974 season saw Eddy Merckx fail to win a spring classic for the first time in his career, in part due to him suffering from various illnesses
Where else did Eddy Merckx tour in 1973 besides Omloop Het Volk, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and Paris–Roubaix?
The UCI Road World Championships were held in Barcelona, Spain in 1973 and contested on the Montjuich circuit.

Question: How did he place at this championship?
Self-contained rewrite: How did Eddy Merckx place at the UCI Road World Championships?