I have never doped. I can say it again, but I've said it for seven years.

Marathons are hard because of the physical pain, the pounding on the muscles, joints, tendons.

I exercise everyday. I swim, I bike, I run and I go to the gym.

No one automatically gives you respect just because you show up. You have to earn it

Nobody is going to feel sorry for me if I've lost a dollar or $100m.

I wanted to win the Tour de France. And when I won it once, I wanted to do it again, and again, and again, it just kept going. So there wasn't another competitive environment.

It gave me a chance to re-evaluate my life and my career. Cancer certainly gives things a new perspective. I would not have won the Tour de France if I had not had cancer. It gave me new strength and focus.