But he is definitely the best Tour de France rider of all time, more powerful in this particular domain as [Eddy] Merckx and [Bernard] Hinault were in their day. However, he’s not got the breadth of their palmares, he’s more limited in that sense. I’m sure if he’d turned his mind to other projects, he’d have succeeded in them. Which Tour was his most impressive? More than one Tour, the attack he launched on Alpe D’Huez in the 2001 race. That was something that really got people on the edge of their seats, it was Armstrong at the height of his power The best Tour was definitely 2003 – but for the spectators. It was where he was pushed the hardest, suffered the most – and still won. After Armstrong retires, who is the best prospect to win the Tour next year? You can’t talk about a successor to Lance He’s simply been too superior.

But there will be three definite candidates for winning next year: Ullrich, Basso, and Yaroslav Popovych [of Ukraine]. Does Armstrong have any weak points? We’ve not really seen any. Sure, there was all that talk about how he suffered in the heat, but I don’t buy that In fact, the longer he’s gone on, the stronger he’s got This year he’s been the most powerful since 1999. How can it not be when he’s been 99 per cent certain to win from day one. ‘He’s like a magician, the best magician of all time’ Jean Louis le Touzet, Age 44, French Chief sports writer with the newspaper Liberation, he has covered nine Tours, including Armstrong’s seven. Is he the greatest rider of all time? He’s got the best palmar? and he’s enshrouded in the greatest sense of mystery of all time Which Tour was his most impressive? 2003. Suffering, crashes, problems, at least the suspense wasn’t killed off straight away.

‘Cycling will exist after Armstrong’ Ivan Basso, Age 27, Italian Currently second overall in the Tour, Basso is widely tipped as a future winner – once Armstrong has retired. Is he the greatest rider of all time? It is impossible to answer Every big champion is different. For sure, he is the biggest Tour de France rider of his generation He is an era in his right. Which Tour was his most impressive? To be able to take a seventh consecutive victory is amazing. ‘Nothing happens without him knowing about it’ Luis Leon Sanchez, Age 21, Spanish Currently riding his first Tour, Luis Leon Sanchez is this year’s youngest rider.

The winner of Australia’s top race, the Tour Down Under, he is riding for the Spanish team Liberty Seguros. Nothing happens without him knowing about it during the race Is he the greatest rider of all time? No Definitely not. He’s the greatest Tour de France rider, but you can’t compare his palmar?with Miguel Indurain’s say Which Tour was his most impressive? All of them. But the way he’s leading this race, controlling everything, is exceptional.