When you get into the final week of the Tour de France, it becomes a different kind of race. As the distance and the fatigue really tell, that is when it becomes a proper test of everyone's fitness.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I think everyone lifts themselves that little bit extra for the Tour de France, being the pinnacle of our cycling calendar.
When you see it from the outside, then you see just how great the Tour de France is.
The Tour de France is a wicked sport in the way that it's not just man against man or woman against woman; it's not flesh against flesh. It's flesh against machine.
When you're the oldest rider at the Tour de France, you really feel it.
You get into such a routine of trying so hard each day and racing between 180 and 220 km., and as soon as you stop, it's weird, but you start to seize up. So it's easier if you keep the body ticking over. You just feel better for it come race day.
I said at the start of the race that the Tour is about being good for 21 days, being consistent every day, not having super days and bad days.
Also, for a team as strong as like ours, the Tour will always remain the biggest goal of the whole year, and personally I will certainly concentrate most of my energy on this race.
If we went to the Tour, I'd have to think, what would our purpose be? Would it be to win the Tour de France? I'm not sure I want that pressure.
I've found that my athletes run their best races after about 10 weeks of intense training.
I can train harder and put myself through more punishing efforts now than I used to do, having done the Tour de France, and come off the road now.
No opposing quotes found.