Robert Millar

[SirLes]

Great to hear something from him again particularly as he is clear, measured and intelligent in his analysis.

Would be wonderful if he could do more.

 

[Big GMaC]

Was just coming to ay the same thing.

Great article.

 

[VeloEcosse]

Great to hear something from him again particularly as he is clear, measured and intelligent in his analysis.

Would be wonderful if he could do more.

Couldn't agree more!

Robert Millar epitomises the way things should be regarding cycling. I know being Scottish makes me biased but he always called it as it was. No fear, no politics or BS.

I only wish he didn't hide himself away so much. I met him once at a function in Glasgow. Did not look comfortable at all. I guess thats just who he is. I was very sad to hear all the crap being mentioned about him in the gutter press.

 

[euanli]

If you read the articles he has written in Rouleur, he has a simple and insightful way of communicating cycling

 

[Roland Rat]

Great to hear something from him again particularly as he is clear, measured and intelligent in his analysis.

Would be wonderful if he could do more.

+1. It's always good to hear from him.

He recently wrote another fantastic article for the Rouleur magazine. It's a great read if you can get hold of a copy. Unfortunately the last issue which had an article by him now sells on ebay for £80+, so lots of the new issue are being bought by selfish collectors rather than enthusiasts who actually want to read it. I subscribed to Rouleur a few months ago just to make sure I could get hold of a copy!

 

[la.margna]

sorry for my ignorance, but where? any links? thanks!

 

[Mambo95]

sorry for my ignorance, but where? any links? thanks!

This website. Front page.

 

[Winterfold]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features...lks-about-the-tour-the-tourmalet-and-team-sky

yes, i really enjoyed reading that - pretty fair and accurate, and a pretty good assessment of why Wiggins hasnt been able to stay with the elite climbers

I do wonder if Sky realise that just because you can ride a climb in a given time at a certain power at a steady pace (ie "the numbers"0, it doesnt mean you'll be able to match that time when you are racing and there are attacks followed by less intense periods. You would hope so...

If not, they should chuck Millar a few quid and employ as a coach for Brad and Lovkist.

 

[Roland Rat]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features...lks-about-the-tour-the-tourmalet-and-team-sky

yes, i really enjoyed reading that - pretty fair and accurate, and a pretty good assessment of why Wiggins hasnt been able to stay with the elite climbers

I do wonder if Sky realise that just because you can ride a climb in a given time at a certain power at a steady pace (ie "the numbers"0, it doesnt mean you'll be able to match that time when you are racing and there are attacks followed by less intense periods. You would hope so...

If not, they should chuck Millar a few quid and employ as a coach for Brad and Lovkist.

Apparently they were working on change of pace on climbs during training - having a moped on the mountains to accelerate and he'd chase, attempting to replicate Contador. It doesn't seem to have worked, however.

But then, when a rider has worked solely on single pace riding for what, 12+ years, I assume it'll take longer than one season to make the necessary adaptations.

 

[van nelle]

Good work by CN, thank's a lot for this! Best article during this TdF for sure. First it's of course because of Millar, he's great. But then it's the type of the article - someone who understand the sport, analyzing riders, their styles, why something is working for them, same for the teams etc. There are just glimpses of it in there, but finally something! Please more of this type of work (Why are Tony Martin, Roman Kreuziger, Rein Taaramae, Rui Costa where they are now, what about their styles, teams, what about their future? - for example).

But again thanks, good job!

 

[Roland Rat]

Cycling Weekly have created a new table ranking the Brits and Robert Millar comes top, above Tom Simpson.

CYCLING WEEKLY'S ALL-TIME RANKING
Last update July 27, 2010. Ranking will be updated regularly.

1 ROBERT MILLAR 2,900 points
Pro: 1980-95
2 Tom Simpson 2,545 points
Pro: 1958-1967
3 Chris Boardman 1,965 points
Pro: 1993-2000
4 Mark Cavendish 1,585 points
Pro: 2007-present
5 Barry Hoban 1,455 points
Pro: 1962-1981
6 David Millar 1,215 points*
Pro: 1997-present
7 Michael Wright 800 points
Pro: 1962-1976
8 Max Sciandri 675 points **
Pro: raced as a British rider 1995-2004
9 Sean Yates 635 points
Pro: 1982-1996
10 Brian Robinson 605 points
Pro: 1952-1963
11 Bradley Wiggins 345 points
Pro: 2002-present
12 Malcolm Elliott 380 points
Pro: 1984-1997
13 Roger Hammond 235 points
Pro: 1998-present
14 Jeremy Hunt 230 points
Pro: 1996-present
15 Vin Denson 155 points
Pro: 1959-1969
16 Alan Ramsbottom 150 points
Pro: 1961-1966
17= Graham Jones 120 points
Pro: 1979-1988
17= Paul Sherwen 120 points
Pro: 1978-1987

ANALYSING CW'S RANKING
Scotland's Robert Millar, who is ninth in the table of British pro winners, with 16 victories, tops the ranking. In 16 years as a professional (1980-1995), Millar was one of the finest climbers in the peloton.

He's the only British rider to have finished on the podium at the Giro d'Italia (second in 1987) and the Vuelta a Espana (second in 1985 and 1986). Millar's fourth place in the 1984 Tour de France is the highest by a British rider. That year he also won the polka-dot jersey as king of the mountains.

That Millar was Britain's greatest ever stage racer can be in little doubt. But it wasn't just in the grand tours that Millar excelled. He also won the Dauphiné Libéré (1990) and Tour of Catalonia (1985). His best one-day performances were sixth in the World Road Race Championships in Barcelona in 1984, and third in the 1988 Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...s-all-time-ranking-of-british-pro-riders.html

 

[durianrider]

Robert Millar!, crikey, he was a bloody vegetarian!
Britains best ever cyclist a flipp'n carrot muncher! ********! God save the Queen!

robert on food 'n' stuff

this snippet comes from a 1992 edition of the comic and suggests that millar was ahead of his time as far as eating was concerned.
millar is one of the few vegetarians in the professional bunch, but as he explained, it's not because he hates meat, but because he feels he rides better that way. "it's not a principle - it's a personal thing. i've read a lot of books about it"
as well as meat, egg yolks are out. egg whites are ok. millar says "a lot of diet is what you don't eat, having enough willpower. but if you never eat anything, you crack up. you see so many guys who are good athletes and put so many restrictions on themselves, that they crack up."
millar gets his protein through cereals, fruit and amino acid supplements. "in a normal diet, you take vitamin supplements anyway: if you take a protein supplement, that's the same."

 

[Grand Tourist]

they should chuck Millar a few quid and employ as a coach for Brad and Lovkist.

They should but they won't & in any case it's unlikely Millar would accept. I think he was justifiably infuriated by the 'sex change' fiasco & wants to keep his head down. Shame really as he would know more about hacking it the mountains than 100 David Brailsfords.

 

[oronet commander]

What was the end of the "sex change" story? Is he Phillippa York now or not? In the Spanish media it was commented that when Alvaro Pino (Vuelta winner and DS) heard of it told Pedro Delgado "it must be true after losing two Vueltas to you and I"...

 

[Grand Tourist]

What was the end of the "sex change" story? Is he Phillippa York now or not? In the Spanish media it was commented that when Alvaro Pino (Vuelta winner and DS) heard of it told Pedro Delgado "it must be true after losing two Vueltas to you and I"...

There was no sex change.

He was wearing a baggy T-shirt, a gust of wind blew it outwards & at the same a paparazzi takes a snap. This 'evidence' was interpreted by the more squalid minds at the News of the World (whose proprietor now owns a cycling team ) as 'proof' that Millar was the proud owner of a magnificent pair of surgically enhanced breasts & must be on his way to being called Roberta.

 

[oronet commander]

Although in Spanish, you can see the picture and some commentaries in one of the most important newspapers of Spain here:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2007/07/10/ciclismo/1184071461.html

 

[Benotti69]

Although in Spanish, you can see the picture and some commentaries in one of the most important newspapers of

it's amazing how in stories like this the latest image is always really blurred and leaves the viewer to wonder, which i imagine is the whole point of the salacious stupid article. I bet no one here would put their life on the 2 images being the same person. I defo wouldn't.

 

[sublimit]

it's amazing how in stories like this the latest image is always really blurred and leaves the viewer to wonder, which i imagine is the whole point of the salacious stupid article. I bet no one here would put their life on the 2 images being the same person. I defo wouldn't.

too tall, and her right ear is bigger so its not the same person.

Interesting article but a shame i cant read Spanish though. I can only guess what complete bull**** it is.

 

[Grand Tourist]

Although in Spanish, you can see the picture and some commentaries in one of the most important newspapers of Spain here:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2007/07/10/ciclismo/1184071461.html

2 words - 'photo' & 'shop'.

For what it's worth I don't hold much credence in the legend of the 'stolen Vuelta'. Millar should have been more on the ball - spanish riders are always going to have a 'home advantage' in a race like the Vuelta & he should have anticipated 'funny business'.

 

[oronet commander]

To be honest I'm really happy to find out all this story is nothing but a hoax; I started enjoying cycling in the times when Delgado, Millar, Lemond and friends were racing, and it was a little sad to see Millar being mocked at. I have many friends who take the story as a fact; I'll have to open their eyes...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

he or she?

 

[berksbadger]

Well said - more analysis would be welcomed by the intelligent people that read this forum. INHO cyclists are smart sports supporters.