There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say: 'Enough is enough.'

There were no shortcuts, I realized. It took years of racing to build up the mind and body and character until a rider had logged hundreds of races and thousands of miles of road. I wouldn't be able to win a Tour de France until I had enough iron in my legs, and lungs, and brain and Heart.

What makes a great endurance athlete is the ability to absorb potential embarrassment, and to suffer without complaint.

Anything is possible. You can be told that you have a 90-percent chance or a 50-percent chance or a 1-percent chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight.

It works better for me to be nervous and hungry.

I've committed to surfing the rest of my life.

Nobody needs to cry for me. I'm going to be great.