To be free and to live a free life - that is the most beautiful thing there is..

I'm fascinated by the sprinters. They suffer so much during the race just to get to the finish, they hang on for dear life in the climbs, but then in….

I did try to win a sixth, but it was not to be..

My strength was that I am more balanced and calmer than most other riders..

If I had been born with an aggressive character, then maybe my palmares would have been longer..

I didn't feel I had to prove anything more..

Everybody tells me that I never look as if I'm suffering. But, when I watch videotapes of a race, I always remember the pain I had to endure..

Sooner or later a rider will emerge who will win more Tours. In every sport we have seen how the records eventually get broken and cycling is no exce….

I inherited that calm from my father, who was a farmer. You sow, you wait for good or bad weather, you harvest, but working is something you always n….