you know, not for nothing, but after I got hit by a car a couple seasons ago, I took more than 3 minutes out of my time in the 40k within 2 months of coming back to the bike.
All that changed was my capacity to withstand pain.
We ride with more than our bodies.
maybe everyone else had to dope to have a chance with him in the field.
After what he went through to fight cancer, his capacity to endure pain went up and the race meant more to him than it did before. Probably meant more to him than anyone else in the field.