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

You know, once I was thinking of quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung and testicular cancer all at the same time. But with the love and support of my friends and family, I got back on the bike and won the Tour de France five times in a row. But I'm sure you have a good reason to quit.

Twenty-plus-year career, 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case.

So if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it's meant to improve us.

If there is a defining characteristic of a man as opposed to a boy, maybe it's patience.

Well, you better ride like you stole something 'cause you are about to win a stage in the Tour de Fance.

For most of my life I had operated under a simple schematic of winning and losing, but cancer was teaching me a tolerance for ambiguities.