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David Millar says he'll retire at end of 2014 season

Garmin-Sharp rider to bring curtain down on successful - and controversial - career

David Millar has revealed that he is to retire from racing at the end of the 2014 season. One of Britain’s most successful road cyclists, he is also arguably the most controversial, serving a two-year ban after confessing to EPO use.

The Garmin-Sharp rider, aged 36, has won stages in all three of cycling’s Grand Tours – the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España – and was also the first Briton to wear the leader’s jersey in all three of those races.

Millar, who is married with two young sons, confirmed his retirement in a video interview with the Dutch magazine, Weiler Revue.

"It has been quite organic really," he admitted. "You always think it is going to be a definitive moment but it hasn't been. It has kind of crept up and I am suddenly realising it is time. “

Last year, Millar won a stage of the Tour de France, and he reflected: “I can still be on top of the game – I know that – but it is a lot harder for me now and I want to be on top of my game next year, so I know I can get that out of me.

"With the motivation of knowing it is my last year, I know I can get the best out of myself."

He rejected the idea his body was getting weaker. “I think my body is actually getting stronger. It is just that I don't want it or need it as much as I did when I was younger. It is very much a conscious decision.”

Asked what he considered to be the high point of his career, Millar said: “My whole career is a highlight. I’d like to think years from now I’d remember this as being one part of my life rather than one moment in my life.”

In 2003, Millar won the World Time Trial Championship in Canada, but within a year was in disgrace after police arrested him while he was having dinner in his then hometown of Biarritz, France, with British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford.

Police searched Millar’s home and found two syringes. Millar, then riding for Cofidis, insists he had stopped doping at that point and had kept them as a warning to himself, but his admission of having used EPO led to a two-year ban.

Following his return to the sport with Saunier-Duval in 2006, Millar became an high-profile critic of drug use within the peloton, and now sits on the athlete committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

He was also one of the first riders signed up to Garmin-Sharp’s management company, Slipstream Sports, when Jonathan Vaughters was putting the squad together in 2007 and now has a stake in the business.

It was WADA’s successful challenge last year at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) of the British Olympic Association’s lifetime ban for drug cheats that paved the way for Millar to compete in the road race at London 2012.

He had acted as road captain when Mark Cavendish won the rainbow jersey in Copenhagen in 2011, but despite leading a strong Team GB performance at the Olympics for most of the race, the chance of a gold medal slipped away from Cavendish on the final Box Hill circuit.

Born on Malta to Scottish parents, his father’s career as a pilot took Millar to Scotland and Buckinghamshire and – after his parents divorced – Hong Kong.

His upbringing, and his racing career, including his downfall and subsequent return to the sport, are the subject of his powerful autobiography, Racing Through the Dark.

Millar's programme for 2014 remains unknown, but the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France both start in the UK, in Belfast and Leeds, respectively.

Later in the season, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow may well be the event where the Scot decides to call it a day as he defends the time trial title he won at Delhi in 2010. 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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38 comments

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Edgeley | 10 years ago
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That gutter attack was utterly brilliantly foolish. What a silly sport we love. Even if we know that he was doing it to get the sponsors' names on the telly as well as for the glory.

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Leviathan | 10 years ago
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NB - "So the Tour really gets going tomorrow." [after the end of stage 3]
DM - "The Tour started on Saturday, Ned."

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11speedaddict | 10 years ago
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Truly my favourite Pro.
Funny and wers his heart on his sleeve.
He would make a brilliant pundit (after the watershed)
Lets hope he sees out his last season with a Giro or Tour win - ideally on one of the UK based stages

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timbola | 10 years ago
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David Millar - true gent, brilliant cyclist, great competitor, exciting racer, thought-provoking and should be in line for a DS and/or commentary role.
The whole family wish you well for your last season - go out with a bang and enjoy retirement  41

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jijiandnoah | 10 years ago
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Well I'll miss him being around; I've always found him one of the funniest and most articulate members of the Peloton and for that reason one of my favourites. I won't go in to the stupidity of calling him a hypocrite - as pointed out earlier those using the term clearly don't actually understand it - but I really like what Nick from Vulpine wrote about calling his son Millar; I guess it all comes down to whether you believe someone can make a mistake, take responsibility for it, then work as hard as possible to find redemption. I'd like my sons to grow up ready to both take responsibility for their mistakes and to forgive others who've done the same - and in this respect I agree: he is a great role model.

As others have said, his book's a good read - Jeremy Whittle's Bad Blood is another good insight (although no doubt now reads strangely in the light of the events of the past couple of years!...)

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CyclingDan | 10 years ago
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I've always enjoyed watching Millar and his performances and he will inspire many potential cyclists to become champions and as others have said he is helping to sort out the problems with Drugs? Good Luck to him  41 and is/was a great cyclist as was Armstrong. Who wasn't taking drugs in that era? The trolls will always keep on trolling. Getting fed up of this Drugs and Armstrong talk.

No doubt Ill get a Lecture from Colin P in a moment!

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Ottadini | 10 years ago
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Always been a favourite rider of mine and if you want to understand the context of the doping his book's a great read.

Almost lost my voice shouting for him on the Champs Elysee this year, looking forward to losing it properly next year in Glasgow..

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Gennysis | 10 years ago
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Really enjoyed getting out to see him fly round the streets of Glasgow with Stannard and Cavendish for the National road champs this year. World class time trialist & effortless style on the bike.

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Al__S | 10 years ago
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I'm guessing/hoping he'll stay involved with the Slipstream team, given he's got a financial stake in it. Hoping for fireworks next season- would be good to see him a grand tour stage (ideally TdF?). Outside of grand tours it could be quite the year for breakaways with both Millar and Jensie (who's sticking to shorter races) on their farewell year.

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SounDaz_7 | 10 years ago
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A brilliant cyclist and a fantastic role model for young and upcoming talent. Can't wait to see what DM does next season, I'm sure it'll be special.

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aslongasicycle | 10 years ago
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There are two reasons my son is called Millar. Both are Scottish.

Mainly its to do with admitting you're far from perfect, and transcending because of it. I admire that hugely. Here's to the weirdos and big mouths.

Here's something I wrote quite a bit earlier on it all:
http://www.vulpine.cc/Blog/road/cycling-characters-part-iii-david-millar

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Karbon Kev | 10 years ago
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good riddance, cheating hypocrite ...

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hairyairey | 10 years ago
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I like Millar - he speaks his mind like Cavendish does. It'll be a shame to lose him. Wishing him every success with what he does and I suspect it'll involve talking a lot.

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Fran The Man | 10 years ago
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Seems like RussFarr66 is somewhat unpopular hereabouts! Me, I just hope Millar has a brilliant season and that, when it's over, he stays in the sport in some role or another. "Evangelist" might be a bit much. "Mentor" might suit better. "Hypocrite" is out of order.

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mudshark | 10 years ago
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Can we ignore the troll please - one guy shouldn't spoil this. FWIW Millar is my favourite pro no question and I hope he gets involved in commentating though he'll be busy with Garmin I imagine.

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Raleigh | 10 years ago
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I'LL NOT HEAR A WORD SAID AGAINST 'IM

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James Warrener | 10 years ago
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Armstrong not a hypocrite and Millar is ?

One admitted it straight away, took his ban and came back to make a change.

The other is called Lance.

 7

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Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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Yeah, I think there are those that doubt Saint David. Bear in mind I wasn't the one that coined that name.

I liked his book and how frank he was about the problems (though I sort of think he did a lot of picking and choosing when it came to his admissions - no rider who wasn't caught doping was mentioned, though likely for the fear of being sued as much as anything else).

I sort of feel with the way things are in pro-cycling and the amount he eulogizes about the cleanliness of the pro-peloton he is working the 'trust me, I should know' angle. But he in fact he is almost the last person we should trust (and to this extent
I sort of wonder about his comments about being stronger).

Garmin has been a sweet ride for him, being able to pick and choose when and where he rides and how hard.

I'm sure he'll move into some sort of pundit/DS roll. He at least gets kudos from me for not wearing Armstrong's Oakleys in 2005.

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Yennings | 10 years ago
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A classy bike rider. Imagine he'll stay involved in the sport through his team ownership. Won't massively miss his rather born-again attitude to dopers in the peloton, though.

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rggfddne | 10 years ago
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I'd rather be the person who makes a mistake and then makes a sincere effort to make amends than the one who lacks the ability to forgive said person.

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Metjas replied to rggfddne | 10 years ago
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nuclear coffee wrote:

I'd rather be the person who makes a mistake and then makes a sincere effort to make amends than the one who lacks the ability to forgive said person.

couldn't agree more.

Millar has done more to highlight the issues of doping in the peloton than most pro cyclists. Redemption.

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Stumps | 10 years ago
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Good luck to him in whatever he does but i hope he stays in cycling as a ds or similar.  41

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Doctor Fegg replied to Stumps | 10 years ago
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Millar for ITV4 Tour commentator, please. It's (well past) time for Phil and Paul to retire and Ant McCrossan's, er, enthusiastic style isn't best suited to a three-week stage race.

Only disadvantage is that you'd have to reschedule the Tour coverage after the watershed. "What the **** does that guy think he's doing, for Christ's sake, that's a ****ing suicidal move..."

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Sadly Biggins | 10 years ago
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For what it's worth, I like Millar. Yes he cheated but he's now strongly anti-doping. The pro peloton needs a few more high-profile riders like him to lead the charge (no pun intended) on this front to try to ensure that younger riders don't feel tempted to cheat, especially after pro cycling's relatively recent history and the murk of the previous leadership of the UCI.

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James Warrener | 10 years ago
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Farewell and good luck.

The final year will hopefully see havoc reeked on the Peloton  1

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clarko86 | 10 years ago
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Who will be the next scottish cyclist to make an world tour level impact?

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Simon_MacMichael replied to clarko86 | 10 years ago
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clarko86 wrote:

Who will be the next scottish cyclist to make an world tour level impact?

I'm hoping for great things from Andy Fenn in the years ahead. Even if he was born in England  3

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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Absolutely.

Assuming you've never made a mistake in your life.

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RussFar66 replied to notfastenough | 10 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:

Absolutely.

Assuming you've never made a mistake in your life.

Taking drugs is a decision not a mistake! Armstrong did it and is not the hypocrite Miller is.

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Chuck replied to RussFar66 | 10 years ago
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I know this is semantics but in my view Millar would only be a hypocrite if he was still doping while simultaneously denouncing it, which I don't think anyone is really suggesting he is. It's not hypocrisy to admit past mistakes.

RussFar66 wrote:
notfastenough wrote:

Absolutely.

Assuming you've never made a mistake in your life.

Taking drugs is a decision not a mistake! Armstrong did it and is not the hypocrite Miller is.

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