"I always said the greatest time to retire for a professional athlete is when the public says, 'He could have went another year.' "

Wayne Gretzky

"... A great triumph of the human spirit, a testament not only to your athletic talent but to your courage."

President Bush

"He is strong in the leg and the head, in the arm and the heart. He is strong inside and outside. He is so strong that there are no points or moments of weakness. He is a force of nature and of science."

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport

"Lance is the greatest American rider and the greatest Tour de France rider ever. Lance, he's past being a cycling person — he's moved to that superstar, rock-star status, which I think benefits the sport."

Frankie Andreu

"He's dominated for seven years. He's a professional down to his fingertips. He's the champion of his generation, the last 10 years."

Bernard Hinault

"With his physical and mental strength, his enthusiasm and will-power, nobody — me included — was able to hold a candle to him these past seven years."

Jan Ullrich

"Lance brought a new level of professionalism, a different level of professionalism to the sport. ... In the way he trained, the way he paid attention to details, that would be what I would think of as Lance Armstrong's legacy to the sport of cycling."

Bjarne Riis