A Life-Changing Experience

In an interview with Steve Wilson of the Telegraph in England, Maarten van der Weijden said he enthusiastically supports Lance Armstrong in his bid to return to competitive cycling because Armstrong's efforts can only benefit the fight against cancer and the perception of those people who have suffered at its hands.

Maarten told Wilson, "[Lance Armstrong’s comeback] is very good because the more attention there is for the research in to cancer the better. So if he is giving attention to that with his comeback it is good."

About his recovery from leukemia and his subsequent Olympic gold medal performance, Maarten says, "It’s strange because it has been a life changing experience. I went to the Olympics as an unknown athlete and I came back as the Olympic star for our team. I’ve had lots of requests from charities and commercial operations; because I tell a very personal story and people want to tell their personal story to me as well."

Photo of Maarten van der Weijden after his Olympic 10K victory by Pei Qingsheng.