The unwillingness to accept anything short of victory, that underlying fury, is the fundamental building block of my bottomless motivation to succeed. It is my credo in all that I do in life from battling cancer to bicycle racing.

How many times do I have to say it? … Well, it can't be any clearer than 'I've never taken drugs.'

Giving up was never an option

The ban doesn't have anything to do with Livestrong or my ability to work in [the cancer] community. Perhaps it speeds it up. I don't know the examples in Great Britain of athletes who have fallen. I know the examples in the United States - the Tiger Woods, the Michael Vicks, even the Bill Clintons - people who are still out there able to work.

I joined the swim team when I was 12, and I was the worst kid in the pool - I was put with a group of 7-year-olds.

Winning is about heart, not just legs. It's got to be in the right place.

I thought I knew what fear was, until I heard the words 'You have cancer'.