I've always thought that travelling every day as a journalist on the Tour's got to be harder than actually racing.
If you look at my career, I kind of got progressively better and better and better. I came closer to the top.
I'm not super social, don't really go to parties, or basketball games, or football games very often, the big social occasions.
Racing is a very selfish, self-centred, self-glorifying thing. My wife's life for 14 years was centered around me. It was all about me. It was all for my ego.
I think everyone lifts themselves that little bit extra for the Tour de France, being the pinnacle of our cycling calendar.
I am nowhere near my limit. I just want to see if there are such things as limits. I want to go and find out.
The only reason I've shared my story is to take that tiny baby step of breaking down the stigma attached to depression.
I am working as public relations director for the Tour de France and maintaining my farm.
When I'm not training day in and day out I love to go out and dance, even though it is potentially in my contract that I'm not allowed to do that.
What did the Romans say? “De gustibus non est disputandum”: It is worthless to discuss personal taste. It is called 'personal' for a reason.
Freedom is for the curious ones. Free is the one not influenced by taboos. Free is the one who reasons and evolves continuously, and refuses to accept anything without thinking.
I didn't want to take it. I knew it was a powerful drug, but I also knew it was a catabolic drug that consumed the body.
The smallest issues can become the most important things in life and reality slips away.
I was awarded 'Most Aggressive Rider of the Day', generally given to the most spectacular loser of the day.
Whenever I was on the podium, it felt weird. I was obviously happy to have done well, but it wasn't truly happy from the bottom of my heart.
I lied for years and years. And the thing about lies and secrets is that they eat you alive from the inside. I would not wish that pain on anyone.
There's a lot out there for me to learn that isn't in college, so I think it's fine for me if I don't go yet.
I symbolized doping... My phone rarely rings. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of riders who call me.
He's dangerous, he's beautiful, and he loves the heat, like me - that's why I had a scorpion tattooed on my leg in 1999 after my fifth jersey.
I'll skate on concrete if I have to. I'm not worried about how fast the ice is. I'm worried about how fast I can go on the ice.
I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.
