I Didn't Invent The Culture, But I

Well, You Better Ride Like You Stole Something 'cause You Are About To Win A Stage In The Tour De Fance.

We Each Cope Differently With The Specter Of Our Deaths. Some People Deny It. Some Pray. Some Numb Themselves With Tequila. I Was Tempted To Do A Little Of Each Of Those Things. But I Think We Are Supposed To Try To Face It Straightforwardly, Armed With Nothing But Courage.

I Would Love To Be In A Place, And I May Never Get There, Where I Can Help People. It's Something That I Never Really Cared To Advertise. It Got Advertised. I Still Do It On One-on-one Level Almost Daily.

I Raced Because I Was Paid To Do A Job And I Felt Like I Had To Do The Job. Number Two: I Raced Because I Loved The Process, I Loved Training, Getting Ready For The Race, I Loved All Of That. And Number Three I Raced For My Memories. Regardless Of What Somebody Wants To Give Or Take Away, You Can't Take My Memories.

I Want To Die At A Hundred Years Old With An American Flag On My Back And The Star Of Texas On My Helmet, After Screaming Down An Alpine Descent On A Bicycle At 75 Miles Per Hour. I Want To Cross One Last Finish Line As My Wife And My Ten Children Applaud, And Then I Want To Lie Down In A Field Of Those Famous French Sunflowers And Gracefully Expire, The Perfect Contradiction To My Once Anticipated Poignant Early Demise.