Motivation for all aspects of life
The Tour de France is considered by many to be the most grueling sporting event in the world. While these quotes were born on the grueling mountain passes of the Alps and Pyrenees, the psychological battles they describe are not exclusive to professional cycling. When pushing your body to these limits, I believe athletes discover the truths of what it means to be human. Enjoy the wisdom of these inspirational bicycle quotes.
Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.
~ , Tour de France winner
It never gets easier; you just go faster.
~
I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle, it’s not going to be satisfying.
~
You don’t suffer, kill yourself, and take the risks I take just for money. I love [bicycling].
~
There will be a lot of complaining that today was too hard, but the winners never complain.
~
He’s got to dig deeply into his suitcase of courage.
~
When my legs hurt, I say: “Shut up, legs! Do what I tell you to do!”
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If it hurts me, it must hurt the other ones twice as much.
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Crashing is part of cycling as crying is part of love.
~
I used to work in a bank when I was younger, and to me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or the sun is shining or whatever: as long as I’m riding a bike, I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world.
~
An amateur should think long and hard before attempting one of these Tour de France stages. Two would probably necessitate visiting a doctor, and three would require a psychiatrist – any more and you should be checking if that person has written a will! ~ Bernard Hinault, five-time winner of the
Tour de France
Life is short, and the Tour de France long.
~
In my opinion, Phil Liggett, the decades-long commentator for the Tour de France, is one of the greatest commentators of any sport. He coined this phrase, and many like it, during a brutal mountain breakaway.
I’m not going to be doing any Tour de Frances or big mountain bike courses, but it’s good to mix things up.
~
The difference between me and Lance Armstrong is that I still have a chance to win the Tour de France.~
NOTE: I’ve demoted all the bicycle quotes by Lance Armstrong to a secondary page, including what I call the most ironic bicycle quote of all time.
Giving Armstrong the benefit of the doubt, he was trying to level an unlevel playing field. As Jacques Anquetil, five-time winner, was famous for saying:
I dope myself. Everyone dopes himself. Those who claim they don’t are liars. For 50 years, bike racers have been taking stimulants.
, 1967.
