Quote

If I am lining up for a race, and I know there is someone there who cheats, it upsets me.

I'm not a cheater, but if I win Olympic gold and people are looking at me and saying I am a cheat because I've won, it's hugely disrespectful given the hard work I've put in.

In athletics there's always been a willingness to cheat if it looks like you're not cheating. I think that's just a quirk of human nature.

What has happened is just cases of athletes neglecting to correctly check the supplement they've had. It's not like they are deliberately or intentionally cheating.

It's important that athletes can compete on a level playing field. And youngsters coming into the sport can know that if they are working hard and training hard, they'll see a true reflection of where they stand and what they can achieve worldwide and not be swayed by people who are cheating.

I don't remember my first race, but I do recall various school sports days where I became way too competitive. We were seven or eight years old, and I had a very stern conversation with my relay team-mates about how crucial it was for us to win.

I have never cheated anybody out of a victory, I have worked hard for every single race that I have won.

I wish I had said 'some athletes here are competing unfairly.' It was my opinion, never an accusation.

One of my major competitors was Harold Smith. Smith beat me in 1977. I was loafing during that competition.

I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999.