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.

You don't suffer, kill yourself and take the risks I take just for money. I love bike racing.

It doesn't get any easier; you just get faster.

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

The key is being able to endure psychologically. When you're not riding well, you think, why suffer? Why push yourself for four or five hours? The mountains are the pinnacle of suffering

Perhaps the single most important element in mastering the techniques and tactics of racing is experience. But once you have the fundamentals, acquiring the experience is a matter of time.

Even good people are obliged to deceive.