I know the freedom that cycling gives you in terms of being able to just jump on and go.
Bradley Wiggins
One of my all-time favourite guitarists is, in fact, a bassist - John Entwistle from The Who. He's one of my all-time favourites, the way he kind of expanded. I mean, he could have been a lead guitarist and been one of the best guitarists in the world. He wasn't even bass player; he was a bass guitarist, and he took the bass to another level.
Success is easy to take for granted.
They do say now in cycling that there's no such thing as bad weather - it's bad clothing.
My dad was a professional track racer. It's in my genes, and my first memories as a baby were in a velodrome.
I was born in Belgium, but we moved to Kilburn when I was one, so 'Time Out' has always been in the background of my life.
It's still the height of every four years for me, regardless of Tours de France and everything: it's all about the Olympics.
I feel a different person in a lot of ways. I feel much more professional and dedicated to my trade than I used to be. I appreciate this ability I've got - and don't take it for granted any more. That fits every aspect of my life now.
When you're in the heat of the moment, you need guys you can trust and who have been there for you.
I feel like I was born to ride the track.
That's the great thing about the Tour. There's always next year and the chance to rectify everything.
Usually, the great thing about cycling is that anybody can watch it; it's very accessible.
It's really incredible to win an Olympic Gold in your home city.
I was a fan of Lance Armstrong, and I remember watching him win the Worlds in '93 in Oslo.
I take my kids to school. It's what keeps you normal.
I came to the conclusion that I'm not going to give up cycling because some people are cheating.
My attitude is that, if you have nothing to hide, why not show it?
My mum put herself in £50,000 of debt to service my sporting career. She did everything for me to pursue my dream.
The more time I was spending with the British team, the more of a laugh I was having with them. It's clean, their way of cycling; it's more about what you can produce as an athlete.
Part of me worries about upsetting people, because we all have perceptions about Olympic champions.
People think sport is life and death - it's not.
It was what I've always wanted, more than anything: to be an Olympic hero rather than a Tour de France star, something I had from childhood.
I wanted to put a really good kids' racing bike out there for kids under 14: 10-year-olds, eight-year-olds, right down to balance bikes for kids.
Things change; your priorities change in life. So I'd never think of riding 100 miles on Christmas Day now, because I've got two kids, and it's selfish.
People always push the boundaries, especially when the rewards are so high financially.
I don't make predictions. I know what I can do, and I try not to think too far ahead.
People come up to me in the street and use words like 'legend.'
I always compare myself to the best.
I've become more of a climber now - who still keeps that time trial as strong as ever. It gives me such self-belief. I feel a different athlete.
Growing up, the news agents round my way in Kilburn all had 'Time Out' on their shopfronts. The logo is a London icon.
When I won gold in Athens, I said to my wife Cath, who was pregnant, 'This baby of ours will never want for anything.' There was real pride in that - but it just didn't happen.
That period afterwards, just hating being the winner of the Tour de France, hating cycling, hating the media for asking me questions about Lance Armstrong.
I had a small investment in Twofold, following guidance from my professional advisers. I had, however, claimed no tax relief of any amount in regard to this investment. Given the concerns raised about it, I have now instructed my advisors to withdraw me from the scheme with immediate effect.
The 2012 Olympics is a fantastic incentive for everyone to help leave a sporting legacy and show that Britain is truly a great sporting nation.
You train all year for the physical aspect of cycling, but you can't plan for what comes next. You're still the same person. External perceptions might change, but inside, you're the same.
I began cycling round the Serpentine because it was the only closed route in London where I could ride traffic-free.
The changing of the goals helps keep the motivation fresh.
Early Nineties - that was what it was all about: how people dressed on the terraces.
The Tour has changed, and I can't make up my mind if it's changed for the better or worse.
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.
You can plan physically to try to win the Tour, but I could never plan for what was going to happen after it.
I'd love to win Paris-Roubaix.
I'm not just a time triallist any more.
I've got an opportunity that not many people have - to be the leader of Team Sky as I enter the prime years of my career.
Working-class people don't tend to be wooed by celebrity.
You think if you win the Olympics, you'll become a millionaire overnight. But I was still scraping the barrel, looking down the back of the settee for pound coins to buy a pint of milk.
You take for granted that you can walk. You do it every day, and then suddenly you can't walk, and you have to remember, 'How did I get out of this chair and start walking in the first place?'
I didn't like doing team presentations at races, being introduced as the winner of the Tour. I felt quite embarrassed by it.
When I did win the Tour, I felt I was feted more in the U.K. for being an Olympic gold medallist... Then I come back to Europe to race, and they're not interested in the Olympic gold; it's about being the winner of the Tour de France - here he is.
You know what? I've won the Tour de France, and now I feel ready to talk about it.
