Torture you sow!: The best sayings from the world of cycling

In cycling, suffering is part of the daily business. The greatest riders in history have found words for it that are still unforgotten today. We show you the most legendary sayings - and which one you should remember for your next ride.

"Torture yourself, you bastard!" is legendary among German cycling fans. These well-meant words from Udo Bölts to his captain Jan Ullrich in the yellow jersey were spoken on the 18th stage of the Tour de France on 25 July 1997, when Jan Ullrich got into difficulties on the Col du Hundsruck. Udo Bölts cheered on his captain with this crude but solid call to support him in the yellow jersey in the battle for the Tour victory.

Cycling is a sport that often looks elegant from the outside, but from the inside it means one thing above all: pain. Anyone who has been riding long enough knows that progress does not come from comfort, but from the ability to suffer more deeply than the person next to you. This is precisely the spirit behind the iconic slogans that have been haunting the peloton for decades. Some are humorous, others brutally honest, others almost philosophical - but they all have one thing in common: they celebrate the ability to suffer that characterises this sport like no other. Pick your favourite saying, memorise it and take it with you on your next ride. Perhaps it will pop up again just when your legs are burning and your head is looking for an excuse.

These are our favourites

• "It doesn't get easier, you just get faster." - Greg LeMond
• "Races are won by those who can suffer the most." - Eddy Merckx
• "As long as I'm breathing, I will attack." - Bernard Hinault
• "Shut up legs!" - Jens Voigt
• "Riding at the back hurts just as much as riding at the front." - Jens Voigt
• "When your legs are begging you to stop, that's when it really starts." - Chris McCormack
• "Every race is a war." - Fabian Cancellara
• "The best rides are the ones where you push through." - Doug Bradbury
• "Climbers suffer in the same way - but differently." - Richard Virenque