Is Millar really clean now?

[Ninety5rpm]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...hows-there-is-a-way-back-for-drug-cheats.html

But there is one good news “drug” story out there. In the last fortnight Scotland’s David Millar won a magnificent silver medal in the world time-trial in Geelong, took a surprise bronze medal in a cracking men’s road race in New Delhi on Sunday and now the 33 year-old has won gold in the Commonwealth Games time trial.
...
The Scot coped firstly by immediately admitting his guilt and taking his ban on the chin.

Wasn't the a lot of denial until the evidence was too overwhelming?

 

[TexPat]

I reckon his first unpleasant meeting with the French police put the Fear in him to the extent that he's been effectively dissuaded from doping ever again. My dime store psychoanalysis is that DM has a very strong guilt complex which makes it tough to hide wrongdoings.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

I thought he seemed really sincere in that BBC-interview. But I guess he might just be an excellent liar.

 

[The Hitch]

He came 2nd in the tt. Is he that good? Are T Martin, R Porte, Mick Rogers all clean ( i know Martin lost 20 seconds in a wheel change but still). Because what we know about the advantages of doping its difficult to imagine a clean rider beating dopers.

You might say they are also all clean, but to me it seems doping is still ingrained in sport. Its difficult to imagine that any top athletes dont dope, let alone 4 of the best 5 time trialists. This doesnt mean they dont take less than was common 10 years ago, but they still dope i think.

 

[ChrisE]

I reckon his first unpleasant with the French police put the Fear in him to the extent that he's been effectively dissuaded from doping ever again. My dime store psychoanalysis is that DM has a very strong guilt complex which makes it tough to hide wrongdoings.

Yes, because we all know there is no such thing as a repeat offender.

 

[danjo007]

somebody is bound to know here, what sustances side effects leave blotchy or yellowed skin?
you know, just like millars allergy to the sunlight! - and used to cover it up with that white cream... which he doesnt need to now!?!
maybe his allergy to the sun went away.

 

[Juicy McDrip]

I don't know the answer, but if TT times from his drug-fueled times were compared to his "clean" results years, it would be a possible indication.

I imagine he should be about 10% slower now on same courses

 

[Polyarmour]

Is Millar clean? I don't know but I hope so. What I do know is that he was clearly the best time trialler in the Comm. Games race. His technique, body position and cadence were faultless. While others were losing time fumbling around for their water bottles he was sipping away on a Racebak. While everyone else had the long tail TT helmuts, he had the new aero stubby helmut designed for the head looking down position, (although I thought at one point he was going to run up the back of a parked car). Coming home into the wind, the others struggled, but Millar judged it to perfection. Durbridge rode a fantastic race too but towards the end his form completely left him. He was all over the bike and pushing too high a gear and Millar eventually caught him. Anyway for me, Millar just looked like the consumate professional in that event and that's why he won.

 

[blackcat]

"I am not even doing recovery therapy" <yet I still fall into the habit of using ingrained euphemisms for doping>

still doped. ask Cecchini.

 

[Night Rider]

Wasn't the a lot of denial until the evidence was too overwhelming?

That was my recollection too.

 

[tubularglue]

Is Millar really clean now?


don't know ~ how's that

 

[Race Radio]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...hows-there-is-a-way-back-for-drug-cheats.html


Wasn't the a lot of denial until the evidence was too overwhelming?

Dude, it is the Commonwealth Games. It is basically way for the Brits to pound on their former subjects and get back at them for routinely schooling them in Cricket.

It is not that big of a deal

 

[BroDeal]

Yeah, sure. The guy who recently described FLandis as "disgusting" is as clean as new fallen snow at ten thousand feet. He is so clean that he is outraged that omerta is not being upheld.

We can only imagine how Millar describes Kohl.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Yeah, sure. The guy who recently described FLandis as "disgusting" is clean as new fallen snow at ten thousand feet. He is so clean that he is outraged that omerta is not being upheld.

We can only imagine how Millar describes Kohl.

Now that's more along the lines of what I was thinking.

 

[Ferminal]

No cleaner than the rest of Garmin circa 2009.

 

[Juicy McDrip]

Is Millar clean? I don't know but I hope so. What I do know is that he was clearly the best time trialler in the Comm. Games race. His technique, body position and cadence were faultless. While others were losing time fumbling around for their water bottles he was sipping away on a Racebak. While everyone else had the long tail TT helmuts, he had the new aero stubby helmut designed for the head looking down position, (although I thought at one point he was going to run up the back of a parked car). Coming home into the wind, the others struggled, but Millar judged it to perfection. Durbridge rode a fantastic race too but towards the end his form completely left him. He was all over the bike and pushing too high a gear and Millar eventually caught him. Anyway for me, Millar just looked like the consumate professional in that event and that's why he won.

I agree Millar is a "Consumate Pro"....that means he did whatever it took. And may still be doing whatever it takes. Did they test him at the Comm. Games? I assume so. But rarely do we see the list of those who were tested at every single event. Many events simply don't test. Oh, btw...Millar is awesome. But whether or not he continues to Charge Up. We don't know.....wish we did!

 

[simo1733]

I agree Millar is a "Consumate Pro"....that means he did whatever it took. And may still be doing whatever it takes. Did they test him at the Comm. Games? I assume so. But rarely do we see the list of those who were tested at every single event. Many events simply don't test. Oh, btw...Millar is awesome. But whether or not he continues to Charge Up. We don't know.....wish we did!

I can believe he is clean .why not? U can't point the finger at every good performance , otherwise we have to ask about Dowsett and Durbridge. I think that the guy who rode without tri bars or skin suit was definately on drugs

 

[Martin318is]

Dude, it is the Commonwealth Games. It is basically way for the Brits to pound on their former subjects and get back at them for routinely schooling them in Cricket.

It is not that big of a deal

Actually, not wishing to take things off topic but these days the Games are actually England turning up to allow the rest of the former Empire (inc Scotland, Wales, etc) spank them.

Especially Australia...

Definitely a joke event unless you get the top world ranks in the Commonwealth - Hockey etc are strongish as is track cycling, etc

 

[JibberJim]

Is Millar clean? I don't know but I hope so. What I do know is that he was clearly the best time trialler in the Comm. Games race. His technique, body position and cadence were faultless.

Did you get to see any video of the leading 4th placed in the race? Not a pro rider is possibly the closest thing to pro time trialler that exists at the moment? He normally looks very good - although the freewheeling every 30seconds is a little unusual.

 

[luckyboy]

What BroDeal said.

 

[Winterfold]

Did you get to see any video of the leading 4th placed in the race? Not a pro rider is possibly the closest thing to pro time trialler that exists at the moment? He normally looks very good - although the freewheeling every 30seconds is a little unusual.

The Hutch. Holds the records on every course I TT on and it would seem every other course in the UK, apart from a couple that Wiggo has and some old Boardman ones. He is a time-trialling animal. If you want to read a funny and real world cycling book, his book on his hour attempt is excellent.

You could win this event clean. I'm not sure that answers the OP's real question though.

Although... Millar's technique is superlative, and that goes a long way when you have to do 20km+ into a headwind and dont have any real competition.

The Commonwealth Games ARE a joke - only the Ozzies and the BBC take them seriously. Half our lot couldn't be bothered to turn up to this one. It's considered good form to make it easier for the natives and colonials to win

 

[thingswelike]

The Commonwealth Games are only as much of a joke as the Commonwealth is. YMMV on that one!

As for Millar. I choose to believe that he's clean. There's no huge body of evidence either way. But for me, the implications of Millar being doped would run into the whole of Garmin having an unbelievably good program, which would also implicate Wiggo, the new Cervelo escapees, etc.

You have to draw the line somewhere (otherwise the whole 'protecting clean riders' thing goes out the window). I personally believe in JV, Wiggo, Garmin, SKY, many french riders, Cervelo and quite a few others.
My main basis for judgement comes down to what they say about other riders and how they conduct interviews (lets face it there isn't an awful lot else to go on).

When people are outspoken on the topic (and Millar is definitely that), I tend to believe them. His recent comments about Contador were interesting, but I put that down to the fact that to continue being motivated, they probably have to convince themselves that Contador was clean - he was protecting his sanity (plus there's no getting around the fact that the clean riders' biggest fear must be testing positive because of contamination, incorrect product labelling, etc).

Anyway - that's my 2p

 

[Arnout]

When people are outspoken on the topic (and Millar is definitely that), I tend to believe them. His recent comments about Contador were interesting, but I put that down to the fact that to continue being motivated, they probably have to convince themselves that Contador was clean - he was protecting his sanity (plus there's no getting around the fact that the clean riders' biggest fear must be testing positive because of contamination, incorrect product labelling, etc).

That's a good point. When riders don't immediately condemn other riders after a positive, it can also be because they know the system is not perfect. That is, you can get caught if you're clean, especially on these substances (as they are not natural).

I also read somewhere in this topic that doping would result in 10% gain. No way. That would mean Millar would ride 52 km/h instead of 47 km/h when using doping. Not possible these days.

Especially when you consider Koos Moerenhout, who is clean without a shadow of a doubt, can finish 6th in the World time trials. Moerenhout had an anonymous career until some years ago, when finally he could consistently deliver the results that we expected of him, as he was very talented.

So yes, there may still be doping going on, but not in the 10% region. It will probably give the edge among the top competitors, but this is no '96 anymore.

 

[Frosty]

Especially when you consider Koos Moerenhout, who is clean without a shadow of a doubt, can finish 6th in the World time trials.

Am not saying that he isnt clean but how can you say any cyclist is 'clean without a shadow of a doubt?'

 

[aussie#1]

i believe he is clean if u look at his results from when he came back in 2007 it has taken him until now/last season to start getting consistant results again which shows it has taken a while for him to be able to build back up to the kind of effort required to win pro races