"There’s this legend about us racers. We hear it all the time that we have a lot of luck with the umbrella girls. Not me, I’ve never pulled one.Because the umbrella girls arrive at the track in the morning, when, damn it, the riders are all hyped up and thinking about the race, so you don’t think of pulling birds, you think about racing... Then, when the race is over, and maybe things have gone well and, my God, you are buzzing, and maybe want to have a good time... the umbrella girls have all already gone home, and we are there looking like idiots..."
But I think the Spanish should examine their consciences a bit, and, if they find that they are behind me, if they aren’t at the top of the standings, it may not all be my fault, but, just maybe that they should perhaps wave their fists a bit less and give the bike more gas."
"I see that some of my friends, who, once they have finished school, don’t know what to do, whether to go to university or to go to work. I think that one of the things that helps us in life is to have a goal. It doesn't matter if it's a sporting one or a career one. But, my God, if you have a clear objective set out in your mind, I think it helps you go through life without any fear."
(I wonder if it might be a good idea to merge this with the RIP thread. I'd like it to be all in one place as it really is something quite comforting).