That period afterwards, just hating being the winner of the Tour de France, hating cycling, hating the media for asking me questions about Lance Armstrong.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I realized I was never going to be Lance Armstrong. And in biking, if you want to make money, you have to be the best.
When you're the oldest rider at the Tour de France, you really feel it.
In fact, there's a lot to legitimately hate about pro sports and the way they are conducted.
I am a sportsman, and I hate politics.
Lance Armstrong is the guy that I would put up there as one of my heroes. He's done something that no one else has done and when you put into it what he overcame, it's absolutely unbelievable.
I want to tell the world of cycling to please join me in telling Pat McQuaid to resign. I have never seen such an abuse of power in cycling's history - resign, Pat, if you love cycling. Resign even if you hate the sport.
I spent another six years in Europe covering sporting events such as the Tour de France.
It is cycling as a professional sport that represents the problem. It can transform someone into a liar.
You know what? I've won the Tour de France, and now I feel ready to talk about it.
I was a fan of Lance Armstrong, and I remember watching him win the Worlds in '93 in Oslo.