Millar to retire end of 2014

[Pedrosanchezo]

Road.cc has a short story on it here.

Wether you love him or hate him for his time in the sport, he has had an interesting career. Plenty of highs and lows. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend his book for the few that haven't read it.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Road.cc has a short story on it here.

Wether you love him or hate him for his time in the sport, he has had an interesting career. Plenty of highs and lows. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend his book for the few that haven't read it.

Saw that earlier, I read his book and enjoyed it as well.

For some reason I like him so I hope he has a good 2014.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I liked him. He did very well (juiced) as a very young rider and looked to have something about him.

I was so pleased he came back and sort of set himself up as a pro-penitent. It didn't fully mask the pong of PEDs coming out of cycling, but it made it less nauseous.

I bought his book and liked some of it, but I found myself warming to him much less after reading it.

He had to retire soon and this seems like the time. He has added greatly to my enjoyment of pro-cycling as a sport.

 

[HLaB]

Heard a few days ago, it was on a Dutch web site but an interview with him in English. My favourite memory of his racing carreer was probably in his lowest profile race (The Edinburgh Nocturne 2009) but because I was there and could see the tactics. Him and Meyer played yo-yo (best description I can think of); one lap he be ahead 10-15secs, the next lap he'd dropped into the pack and Meyer was 10-15secs ahead, following lap it was Millar again. This continued for several laps, then on the last pass they had broke the pack. Reading the race report, Rapha (particulary House) must have put a sterling effort in in the last 3/4 of the lap, he was 20-30secs behind when he passed me.

 

[Noodley]

It didn't fully mask the pong of PEDs coming out of cycling, but it made it less nauseous.

I thought you liked doped racing?

 

[Boris Bajic]

I thought you liked doped racing?

I accept it as a reality but I don't embrace it. Insofar as I watched it and enjoyed it in the pretty secure knowledge that it was dirty, then I liked it. In a perfect world nobody would dope. I thought Millar's journey from the dark side to the light side was brave and noble. It's comfortable on this fence.

I have nostalgic and very positive (no pun) memories of races in the dark days of Indurain, Roche, Delgado, Armstrong et al and I cannot get cross or feel cheated retrospectively. Others enjoy getting all riled up about it, like kids when you tell them that WWF guys are just play-acting.

 

[LimeBurn]

Fantastic character in the pro peloton, and I do like the way he has been very open about his drug use issues - and I agree his book is one of the best cycling biographies I have read.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I do find myself liking Millar. I respect his stance, now, and all he is doing for a cleaner sport. I think he was, still is of course, a pretty savvy bike racer.

My only niggle with Millar was the way he makes out that it was his choice to come clean. It most certainly wasn't. It was made for him. Who knows who or what he would be if he was not caught doping.

I prefer to judge the man on who he is now though, not who he was.

 

[ColinJ]

My only niggle with Millar was the way he makes out that it was his choice to come clean. It most certainly wasn't. It was made for him. Who knows who or what he would be if he was not caught doping.

I remember Millar bad-mouthing his Cofidis teammates at the time when they started confessing to the French police and implicating him. He definitely did not say "Phew, thank goodness I have been caught!" at first, however, I do believe him when he says that he eventually came to feel that way.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

I always liked Millar too, be a shame to lose him from the peloton. I think he always disliked himself for turning to the 'dark side' and was more relieved in some way when he was caught. At least he faced up to the issue afterwards and has done what he can to correct things.

 

[oldroadman]

After the news hit the sites, there were some very unpleasant and ill-judged comments on some forums. It's good that (so far) none of the rubbish spouted by know-nothings has appeared on here. I think he would be a decent DS, as a rider he is very clever and an excellent team tactician. What he did in the past he knew was wrong. In my view he probably felt pressured by the way things were, and did what he was tempted to do more for security of mind than any lack of ability. Unless you have been at or close to that place and level, it's impossible to know what you might do. All the moralising in the world from those who do not have to face up to such a difficult decision is of no consequence.
The man took his sanction, did not whine and make stupid excuses as so many have done (and still try to do, e.g. Spanish steak??), then cane back a changed rider. Good for him.
His stance now is clear, and there will be quite a few younger riders who are benefiting from that stance, the general better health of the peloton, and are able to face their friends and family with a clear conscience.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

After the news hit the sites, there were some very unpleasant and ill-judged comments on some forums. It's good that (so far) none of the rubbish spouted by know-nothings has appeared on here. I think he would be a decent DS, as a rider he is very clever and an excellent team tactician. What he did in the past he knew was wrong. In my view he probably felt pressured by the way things were, and did what he was tempted to do more for security of mind than any lack of ability. Unless you have been at or close to that place and level, it's impossible to know what you might do. All the moralising in the world from those who do not have to face up to such a difficult decision is of no consequence.
The man took his sanction, did not whine and make stupid excuses as so many have done (and still try to do, e.g. Spanish steak??), then cane back a changed rider. Good for him.
His stance now is clear, and there will be quite a few younger riders who are benefiting from that stance, the general better health of the peloton, and are able to face their friends and family with a clear conscience.

Yeh i've seen plenty of those comments too. "Hypocrite", "cheat", "liar" etc etc.

If he continued to dope and lie about it then maybe they would have a point. As it stands Millar will continue to promote clean cycling through his life story and his ongoing campaign.

If Millar hadn't gone through all he has in the sport, he would not have become the force he is today in the fight to keep/make the sport clean.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Yeh i've seen plenty of those comments too. "Hypocrite", "cheat", "liar" etc etc.

If he continued to dope and lie about it then maybe they would have a point. As it stands Millar will continue to promote clean cycling through his life story and his ongoing campaign.

If Millar hadn't gone through all he has in the sport, he would not have become the force he is today in the fight to keep/make the sport clean.

Aye but, Noodley still thinks he is a nobber.

 

[Noodley]

Aye but, Noodley still thinks he is a nobber.

Not me, I have a great deal of respect for Millar.

 

[avsd]

His performance in the World Championship as team captain in the men's race when Cavendish won was awesome. Well organised team and when Wiggins did his lap at the front

Such a contrast to this year's men team where the team disintegrated. I do admit the weather was different but the teamwork was so different