I know too that we Americans like to think of ourselves as cleaner than clean, a healthy nation who would never take anything when a recent poll suggested that 65 per cent of the population would risk dying in 10 years if they would be guaranteed Olympic gold.

I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle, it's not going to be satisfying.

More people should apologize, and more people should accept apologies when sincerely made.

I'm more optimistic about cycling right now than I've ever been.

I know it is possible to win the Tour without taking anything.

It is cycling as a professional sport that represents the problem. It can transform someone into a liar.

I'm lucky that mountian biking wasn't around when I was 20, because I wouldn't have won the Tour de France. It's my kind of sport - hard, individualistic, and not a lot of tactics.