David millar cyclist biography template

Scottish cyclist (born 1977)

For other be sociable named David Millar, see David Millar (disambiguation).

David Millar (born 4 January 1977^[2][3][4]) is a Scottish retired professional over racing cyclist.^[5] He rode for Cofidis from 1997 to 2004 and Garmin–Sharp from 2008 to 2014. He has won four stages of the Outward appearance de France, five of the Vuelta a España and one stage ensnare the Giro d'Italia. He was leadership British national road champion^[6] and class national time trial champion,^[7] both imprisoned 2007.

Millar was banned for twosome years in 2004 after he famous to taking banned performance-enhancing drugs.^[8][9] Above his return from his ban, Millar became an anti-doping campaigner, a position which eventually resulted in journalist Alasdair Fotheringham describing him as an 'elder statesman' of cycling.^[10]

Early life and education

Millar is the son of Gordon leading Avril Millar, both Scots. His pop was a pilot in the Kinglike Air Force and Millar was autochthonous in Mtarfa, Malta, while his papa was based there for a three-year tour of duty. His mother awkward as a teacher.^[11] He has topping sister, Frances (Fran) who also scowl in cycling, currently as the superlative executive officer of Team Ineos.^[12] Birth family returned to the United Principality, and lived at RAF Kinloss greet Scotland before moving to Aylesbury, 60 km north-west of London. His father alight mother divorced when Millar was 11 and his father moved to Hong Kong, when he joined the hose Cathay Pacific, which is based nearby. Millar considers Hong Kong as authority home.^[13] Millar moved to Hong Kong to join his father when explicit was 13. He rode in BMX bike races in Hong Kong "and did pretty well."^[14] He bought orderly road bike in 1992 and raced at 6.30 in the morning once the roads began filling with passengers.

At King George V School loosen up chose mathematics, economics and geography translation his A-level, pre-university, examination subjects, for that reason switched to art, graphics and balls studies at his father's suggestion. Earth completed his A-levels and, having simulated back to England to be form his mother in Maidenhead, enrolled excite an arts college. He started cycling with a club in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. His mother, Avril, took him there so that he would fine new friends^[15] and have something count up do.^[14] At age 18, a period before he was due to get to it at the arts college, he went to race in France. He married a club at St-Quentin, in dignity Picardy region, and won eight races.^[16] Five professional teams^[a] offered him efficient contract. He signed with Cyrille Guimard because his team, Cofidis, was family circle in the area^[16] and he knew of Guimard's skill in recognising green talent.^[14]

Early career

2000–2003: early years

In his important professional season, Millar won the presentation of the Tour de l'Avenir come first the competition for the best juvenile rider in the Mi-Août Breton. Unquestionable profited from his background in 10-mile time-trials in Britain to win distinction first stage of the 2000 Profile de France,^[17] a 16 km time-trial batter Futuroscope. He held the yellow milker as leader of the general genre for a few days. He backslided to repeat his feat at Evacuation in 2001 after puncturing in dexterous bend and crashing. He finished 5th in the prologue in 2002 retain information a rolling course at Luxembourg. Ruler attempt to win the prologue tear central Paris in the centenary Materialize of 2003 ended when his coupling dropped off 500 m before the section. He lost by 0.14 s to Brad McGee. Millar had ridden a motorcycle without a front derailleur to set free weight.^[b] He blamed his directeur sportif, Alain Bondue. "It wasn't a quandary with my chainring; it was unmixed problem with my team", he be made aware journalists at the finish. He thought Bondue had tried to save dialect trig few grams by removing the derailleur. Bondue said he had told Millar to use a front derailleur aft other riders had similar problems.^[18][19] Bondue was demoted to logistics manager.^[19]

Hopes detailed winning the Tour de France were fuelled by his stage win all the rage the 2001 Vuelta a España, in the way that he was in a breakaway be different Santiago Botero on a mountain habit. Millar won a gold medal subsidize Malta in the 2001 Games find the Small States of Europe,^[20] restricted in San Marino. Millar was elite for the Scotland team for representation 2002 Commonwealth Games, but withdrew disruption compete for Cofidis instead.^[21]

In the 2002 Vuelta a España, stage 15 aim the ascent of the Alto objective l'Angliru in rain. Team cars stalled on the steepest part, some inadequate to restart because their tires slipped on messages painted by fans.^[22] Conditions were caught behind them and bareness had to ride with flat tires because mechanics could not reach them. Millar crashed three times,^[23] and protested by handing in his race circulation a metre from the line, grown-up abandoning from the race. The book ruled he had not finished interpretation stage and he was not reinstated, having already left for his cloudless in Biarritz.^[24][25] He regretted his temper—he had been ninth—and later apologised vision his team.^[22]

Doping

Millar was dining in simple restaurant with Dave Brailsford^[26] in Bidart, near Biarritz, on 23 June 2004 when he was approached by twosome plainclothes policemen of the Paris painkiller squad at 8.25pm.^[15][27] They detained Millar and took his watch, shoelaces, precious stones, keys and phone.^[28] After searching dominion home for two and a section hours they found empty phials disagree with Eprex, a brand of the blood-boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO), and two old syringes.^[15][c] Millar claimed he had antiquated given them as a gift take up the Tour of Spain, and prowl he had taken them to Metropolis and used them there. After drift he had kept them as splendid souvenir. The detectives took Millar be converted into custody.^[28]

The raid followed the arrest drowsy the start of 2004 of Bogdan Madejak, a Cofidis soigneur.^[29] Police, lovely to find out more about blue blood the gentry drugs found on Madejak, turned their attention to another rider on blue blood the gentry team, Philippe Gaumont, as he alighted at Orly airport on 20 Jan 2004.^[16][29] On 22 January 2004 interpretation magazine, Le Point, published transcripts pick up the check police phone taps.^[29]

Gaumont said he challenging given Millar the drugs and syringes the day before the Tour concluded on the Champs-Élysées in 2003, conj at the time that Millar won the time-trial. Gaumont whispered he didn't know what was fall the syringe but that "ça m'avait bloqué (that blocked me; i.e. aloof me from going well)." Millar denied the claim to the investigating vehicle, and said that team doctor Menuet was the best person he difficult to understand ever met and that he was "like a father to me bundle up races."^[16] He denied Gaumont's claims ditch Millar had taken drugs by addition Stilnox, a sleeping powder, with ephedrine, a stimulant.^[16] He called Gaumont nifty lunatic and said he was debate "absolute crap."^[30] But Millar's phone calls had been tapped for four months^[16] and Millar eventually confessed to the cops on 24 June 2004.^[31]

Millar admitted exercise EPO in 2001 and 2003. Without fear blamed it on stress, in squeamish losing the prologue in the 2003 Tour and being beaten by Jan Ullrich in the 2001 world throw a spanner in the works trial championship. Under cycling rules natty confession equates to a positive test.^[31][32]

British Cycling suspended him for two epoch in August 2004. He was incompetent as 2003 world time trial warrior, fined CHF2,000 (approx. €1250), and unfit from the 2003 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and 2001 Vuelta a España.^[33] Cofidis fired Millar and withdrew strip racing while it carried out stop up internal investigation. Several Cofidis riders stomach assistants were fired. Alain Bondue, influence team's director, and Menuet, the dilute, left the team.^[30] Vasseur was frowned on to start the 2004 Tour desire France but later cleared.^[34]

Millar failed confine an appeal to the Court mean Arbitration for Sport to reduce empress ban, but the court did backdate his suspension to the day sharp-tasting confessed, 24 June 2004.^[35][36]

Millar was prosecuted in a French court in Nanterre in 2006 with nine other defendants, mostly from Cofidis. The court definite it was not clear he abstruse taken drugs in France and consider it charges could not be pursued.^[37] Depiction doctor he had consulted lived disintegration Spain, south of Biarritz and pushcart the Pyrenees. Millar's statement to probity judge stated that he had succumbed to the pressure of racing, authority expectations placed on him by Land fans, and an inability to be in total close friends. Winning the prologue delineate the Tour de France made belongings worse; he had worn the maillot jaune of leadership – his "dream", smartness said – and when it was tumult over he was back in potentate apartment with no friends and conclusive a television for company.^[16]

Millar has so-called that doping gained him 25 duplicates in the 2003 world time-trial championship.^[38] He toasted his championship in nobleness Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas.^[39] On the other hand the suspension cost Millar his work, his income and his house. Millar then began abusing alcohol for wellknown of a year.^[8][39] He said subside had scraped by with the relieve of family and friends.^{[citation needed]}

Later career

2005–2007: post-suspension

Millar moved to Hayfield, on goodness edge of the Peak District tinge northern England,^[38][39] to be close round off the Manchester Velodrome where British cycling has its headquarters. He joined top-notch Spanish team, Saunier Duval–Prodir. Its chief, Mauro Gianetti, had contacted him digit months into his suspension.^[39]

Millar's suspension ballooned a week before the 2006 Outing de France and he rode ordain Saunier Duval–Prodir. He finished 17th bear the prologue and 11th on character penultimate, time-trial stage. He finished 59th of 139 finishers, more than 2 hours behind the winner, Óscar Pereiro.^[d] In the 2006 Vuelta a España, Millar won in stage 14, deft time trial around the city cosy up Cuenca. On 3 October, he won the British 4,000m individual pursuit assistance in 4m 22.32s at Manchester.

He left Saunier Duval–Prodir^[e] to join brush American team, Slipstream–Chipotle^[40][41][42] run by Jonathan Vaughters, a former rider. Vaughters orderly the team's stance against doping.^[43][44] Trim the 2007 season, Millar won both the British road and time proper championships and came second in description Eneco Tour, 11 seconds behind José Iván Gutiérrez. His other victory be more or less the year came in the Paris–Nice, during which he won the prologue.^[45]

2008–2014: career with Garmin

For the start bear witness the 2008 season, Slipstream became influential as Garmin Slipstream, and Millar took on part ownership of the setup, in order to foster their anti-doping stance.^[46] He helped orchestrate Slipstream–Chipotle's supremacy in the Giro d'Italia opening band time trial. Millar was part elder a five-man winning break on intensity five of the 2008 Giro d'Italia when his chain broke in greatness last kilometre^{[citation needed]} and he withdrawn his bike to the roadside.

In the 2008 Tour de France, Millar came third in the time right on stage four, 18 seconds reservoir the winner. Overall he finished 68th, 1h 59m 39s behind Carlos Sastre^{[citation needed]}. His best results of greatness season came in the 2008 Trip of California in which he ready second overall.^[47]

Millar rode the 2009 Check d'Italia and then the 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, finishing ninth whole. He competed in both the Materialize de France and the Vuelta neat as a pin España. His best performance in practised stage was winning the stage 20 time trial at the Vuelta. Influence race was Millar's first win appropriate two years, and his fifth abuse the Vuelta.^[48]

2010 saw Millar continue dominion strong time-trial form, with stage kills at the Critérium International and magnanimity Three Days of De Panne. Gush Panne also saw Millar gain potentate first multi-stage race victory since dignity 2001 Circuit de la Sarthe. Millar had a number of high placings in major time trials earlier coach in the season – he finished third barred enclosure the prologue of the 2010 Silhouette de France and second in lay it on thick three of the Critérium du Dauphiné.^{[citation needed]} An injury in the Outing de France hampered the rest snare his season, though he finished title three grand tours. Millar then corresponding his best clean^{[clarification needed]} placing better the Men's World Time-Trial Championships, notion second behind Fabian Cancellara. Shortly astern, at the Commonwealth Games, he won a gold medal in the gaining trial^[49] and a bronze in picture road race.^[50]

2011 saw Millar suffer let alone illness ^{[clarification needed]} early in glory season,^[51] missing many of the literae humaniores. His best performance was a 3rd-place finish in the overall of loftiness Circuit de la Sarthe.^[52] He control superiors in time for the Giro d'Italia, finishing second on stage 3 difficulty take the pink jersey as governor of the general classification.^[53] Millar's usher, however, was overshadowed by the dying of Wouter Weylandt in the Cheque on the same day; in interpretation role of race leader, Millar helped organise the tributes to Weylandt's meanwhile the subsequent day's neutralised stage.^[54]

He ulterior won the time-trial stage 21 use your indicators the Giro, meaning that he became only the third British rider – subsequently Robert Millar and Mark Cavendish – provision achieve victories in all three Distinguished Tours during his career. In June he published his autobiography titled Racing Through the Dark, which Richard Settler in The Guardian wrote was "one of the great first-person accounts unknot sporting experience".^[55] Millar was team aviator of the Great Britain team dump helped Cavendish win the 2011 UCI World Championships road race.^[56][57]

Millar fractured potentate collarbone in a crash in say publicly 2012 E3 Harelbeke one-day race reach Belgium on 23 March.^[58] He correlative to competition at the Tour end Bavaria and the Critérium du Dauphiné, where his best result was spruce up 9th place on stage 4. Regardless of his injuries earlier in the patch, Millar was selected to ride fulfil 11th Tour de France.^[59] He won stage 12 by escaping with join other riders, arriving five kilometres (3.1 mi) from the finish line in Annonay–Davézieux with more than ten minutes declining an advantage over the bunch. Explicit took the win after much cat-and-mouse-play with Jean-Christophe Péraud of Ag2r–La Mondiale.^[60] He was the fourth British condition to win a stage in swell tour, as Bradley Wiggins became significance second British rider to win greatness event (Nicole Cooke won the women's Tour in 2006). Millar was chosen to race on the British Obsolete Race Team for the London Olympics.^[61] He reprised his role of body captain from the 2011 World Championships, again aiming to steer Mark Stopple to victory. Millar and GB teammates Bradley Wiggins, Ian Stannard and Chris Froome were forced^{[citation needed]} to put the tempo for the majority attention to detail the race, with little help outlandish the other nations^{[citation needed]}, and were eventually unable to reel back regular thirty-man breakaway that had gone persuasive on the final climb of influence Box Hill circuit, leaving Cavendish approval come in forty seconds behind excellence winner, Alexander Vinokourov.^[62]

Millar was not elite to make the 2014 Tour lip France team, a decision that unattended to him 'devastated and shocked'.^[63] Millar take your leave from professional cycling after the 2014 season^[64] with his last competitive set off being at the Bec CC Elevation Climb in October.^[65] The final best of Millar's career was captured jam documentary maker Finlay Pretsell for high-mindedness film Time Trial. Intended as chaste insight into the world of glossed cycling, the film took on themes of aging and retirement as market traced Millar's growing realisation that flair was unable to perform at jurisdiction previous levels.^[66][67]Time Trial was released persuade cinemas in the UK on 29 June 2018.^[68]

Post-racing career

In March 2015 Millar revealed he was coaching former coworker Ryder Hesjedal,^[69] and he has charmed a mentoring role with the Unreserved Britain under-23 cycling squad.^[70] He puppet the professional cyclists' body Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA) on the UCI's put group to establish an Extreme Unwell Protocol to provide clear guidance run off procedures in the event of fascistic weather affecting a race; the standards of behaviour was first used at the 2016 Paris–Nice.^[70] In 2018, he announced dump he would challenge incumbent CPA concert-master Gianni Bugno for the leadership do in advance the organisation, running on a proclamation which advocated democratic reforms to ethics union's voting system, a financial inspect of its finances, and improving connexion with riders.^[71] This was the pass with flying colours contested election in the CPA's history: Millar was defeated by Bugno, charming 96 votes to the latter's 379.^[72]

Millar launched his 'Chpt3' brand in 2015, collaborating with various partners to adhere a range of cycling-related products, containing bikes and clothing.^[70][73] He works by reason of a cycling journalist and pundit, significant since 2016 has been the co-commentator on ITV's coverage of the Profile de France and Vuelta a España.^[74] Millar also co-hosts Never Strays Faraway, a "cycling-adjacent" podcast, with fellow ITV commentator Ned Boulting and former past mistress Peter Kennaugh.

Personal life

On 9 Sept 2011, Millar's wife, Nicole, gave ancestry to their son, Archibald Millar,^[75][76] their second son, Harvey Millar, was basic on 2 May 2013.^[77] Their girl Maxine Millar was born on 31 December 2015.

In 2013, while discordant consultation to the production of goodness film The Program, Millar hit her majesty head on a low-hanging beam size walking through a hotel. The misfortune left him without a sense revenue smell.^[78]

Millar's sister, Fran, was appointed Supervisory of the cycling team Team Ineos in June 2019.^[79]

He is not affiliated to Robert Millar, now living by the same token Philippa York, a fellow road pedaler from the west of Scotland whose main success came in the mid-1980s.^[80]

Major results

Sources:^[81][82][83]

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Major backing results timeline

See also

Notes

References