Once I decided to retire from bikes, there was no thought to go racing again. I wanted to have a full year off and maybe even see the world a bit.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I've decided to retire from top class racing. It has been an incredible experience and has provided with me some unforgettable moments.
There are so many people who have died of cycling, and that didn't happen when I was racing.
I've had so many experiences in cycling, but in some ways I have nothing left to prove. I have achieved more than I could have dreamed of, I've raced a lot longer than I thought I would. I know I can still be better, but I just don't know if I love it enough any more.
I drove long distances like the 24 hours of Le Mans for years. But even this racing is now over. I retired.
As a kid growing up - I can see now - it didn't matter what I did, as long as it was something I could be really good at. Cycling just happened to be the opportunity that came along.
I grew up in a culture of motorbikes. So I like racing just fine. Quite a lot, actually. That was when I was a boy in Australia. And I never really made the jump to cars after that.
It's true that this year, following my accident in the pre-season, I kind of lost morale and I felt like quitting at the end of this year. But today I can say that I want to be a professional bike rider in the year 2003 as well.
I'm more optimistic about cycling right now than I've ever been.
I've always known there's more to life than just racing for a long time.
Bike riding requires permanent sacrifice. It means training 11 months out of 12 and 110 days of racing, whatever the weather conditions. Early in life, I realised I did not have intellectual potential, so I dedicated myself to cycling.
No opposing quotes found.