24 July 2011, Paris, France
I just hope that everyone in Australia has enjoyed watching so far, and you know, by the time we get to the Champs Elysee, probably would understand what’s going on outside the little world of the Tour de France by the time we get to the Champs Elysee tomorrow.
Look in my career, it’s 20 years since I watched my very first Tour de France, and watched Indurain ride to the win in the Tour de France, and in all that time a lot of people have believed … well not as many as some people think but some really good people have believed in me, from my very first from when I was 14 years old, 20 years ago, and right through until I turned onto the road.
And through my road career, as everyone is aware, it was Aldo Sassi who always believed in me, he often believed in me more than I did, and for him to be here today would be .. when we won in Mendricio it was six kilometres from his house , seven kilometres from his house, and it was a beautiful day there with Aldo, and Dr Sminzi there. But yeah .
He said to me at one point last year, ‘I hope for you , and I’m sure that you can win a grand tour, I hope for you it’s the Tour de France because that’s biggest and most prestigious tour, and if you do you will become the most complete rider of your generation.’
And for him today to see me now, would be quite, quite, quite something.
Aldo Sassi died of brain cancer in December 2010