[Closed] David Millar. Is it just me? Or is he a complete......

+1 what a nobber.

Nope, it's not just you.

The guy needs to shut his cake-hole and get on with riding his bike. Slagging of Sky then in the same breath whining that he cant play because he's a proven cheat. Total loser.

Cheating tool. End of

He's actually got better, which shows you how bad he was to begin with. When interviewed he just tries to be cool and be somebody he isn't. Stroker is the word I'd use.

Certainly not a great image he projects here - or an another interview I saw at the weekend...

But he has done the right thing since he was busted - did say in the other interview that he thought cycling was now cleaner than many other sports - and was bigging cycling up in that one.

The bloke is hungover, and journalists are always spinning things and looking for an angle.

Anyway - Landis, Hamilton and now Hincapie implicating LA ?

Millar doesn't slag off Sky in that article though, just Wiggins for his lack of leadership abilities. And there was an article in The Times this week or last (can't remember exactly what day) where Wiggins himself admits he was sorely lacking in that department.

Finbar - I thought that article in the Times came across as a complete hatchet job. Appalling journalism. From a Murdoch paper too. Who'd have thunk it?

Millar doesn't slag off Sky in that article though

read again

Millar, despite his closeness to Brailsford, sums up last year's derision towards Sky.

"That was the opinion of them in the peloton. They came across as big-headed and disrespectful. They held the rest of us in disdain for our methods and they belittled us. We didn't like that. But they had a humbling Tour and made a huge realisation that they had to fit in. They also learnt you can't reinvent the wheel."

Millar's criticism is coloured by acute disappointment that he cannot ride for Sky. He could never be offered a contract from a team which makes much of its "zero tolerance" towards doping. "I would have loved [racing for Sky]. It hurts when I see that team staying in the same hotel as me, seeing people I've known for years. It's my world. Those are riders I should be alongside. But I'm banned."

I agree with him whole-heartedly. As much as I want to see Wiggins do the business in the Tour, it's not going to happen. And he [i]is[/i] a cock.

I agree completely with his comments about Wiggins as a team leader, and the attitude to Sky amongst the peleton. When a new super-rich team starts poaching riders with ludicrous sums of money, it's bound to leave a bitter aftertaste - and not in terms of jealousy. We're talking about riders reneging on contractual agreements to take Sky's cash. If I was in a team and someone left like that, I'd feel a bit cheated.

I don't really see him blaming anyone else for his drug-taking in that piece either. On the contrary. However, put yourself in the position of a young, ambitious cyclist, riding for a team run by his childhood heroes.

It would be akin to Kenny Dalglish convincing a young player to dope by telling him "It's OK, it's what we used to do. If you want to be as good as I was, that's what you need to do". It would be very difficult for an impressionable young man to say no under those circumstances.

I hope Miller has a good tour, and I'm looking forward to reading his book.

And Wiggins has talked about how he got it all wrong last year, how he thought he'd got 4th all by himself and got properly found out when he left Garmin and all the guys who'd pulled him over the hills.

Cycling has a lot of extreme characters but you cant say Wiggins (or Cav) havent learned a good amount of self knowledge. Millar is still deluding himself......and I'm a Scot, I ought to cheering for the guy but he's not easy to respect.

Millar's criticism is coloured by acute disappointment that he cannot ride for Sky. He could never be offered a contract from a team which makes much of its "zero tolerance" towards doping

I cannot wait for their first rider to get caught doping.

I've always liked Millar even back then... but now, now he's a far better rider and a savvy part manager too.. (Garmin/Slipstream)
I'm part way through his book and it's a really good book too. Ok so some admissions he partly blames on the culture in cycling back then, but he's the first to admit it was his decision to dope.
But now, now he's a far better rider IMO.. He's still a cracking TT and poncheur who still goes out there and tries to win.
As for Wiggo comments, jelousy, simple really, and the whole peleton just rode the bandwaggon and Sky became the team of hate.. Yet now, this year, Sky are doing really well.. apart from EBH whose rather fond of his own bed so it seems.
Don't diss Russel Downing, that mans a god.

shibboleth + 1.

Think you're all reading a bit too much into this.. last week he was commenting on the Lance / Contador doping situations, and now this. He's got a book out, and wants publicity - simple as that.

I do like watching him ride for the simple reason that he does try and attack, and he comes across as one of the more articulate members of the peleton in his interviews. Shame he doped though.

Soundbites never air well. I have utmost respect for the two of them doing things most of us can never dream of... come on you brits in Le Tour ❗

Finbar - I thought that article in the Times came across as a complete hatchet job. Appalling journalism. From a Murdoch paper too. Who'd have thunk it?

❓ My point being, if anyone was guaranteed not to put Wiggins in a bad light it would be The Times. So him admitting in there that his leadership was completely lacking suggests it's true.

I struggle with long sentences most of the above posts, but having read that article I have more respect for Millar. He doesn't hide behind vagueness or platitudes and says it how he see it. Re. Sky, Brailsford himself has said that as a team they were arrogant and dis-respectful to the Tour and the cycling world in general last season, so it's hardly Millar's own biased opinion.

Millar served his time, having owned up once caught - a very rare thing, which other cyclist has done that- and has not tested positive since.

I think he's generally alright, but he has a book to sell...

And over the years it has become obvious that when otherwise normal people have a book to sell, then they will behave like complete bell-ends for a few weeks.

Having a moan at Wiggo seems fair enough for him, given his superdomestiquing and part ownership of Slipstream.

But at least Wiggo when he behaves like a cock realises it, and then very publicy and usually amsuingly says 'Sorry I was behaving like a complete cock ' - this is inherently likeable in a way that DM's never quite accepting his culpability isn't.

He has also since upgraded his 'wont get in the Top 10' asessment of Wiggins to 'could get in the Top 5' 🙂

Not its just you.
He is widely respected in the sport, has he got history- yes. Did he fess up and take it like a man. Yes. Thats the big difference between him and many others out there.

Is he wrong about wiggo? He is not the 1st to have a pop at him and his leadership, Cav been there.
I don't see any slagging if Sky, he has express a widely held view.

If would be fanastic to see wiggo do well this year, probably the uk's best chance ever of a result.

Did he fess up and take it like a man. Yes.

He only 'fessed' up when he was pretty much cornered like a rat. Though I do give him respect for trying to promote a cleaner sport. Though it always slightly strikes me as a bit like a born-again Christian, getting a little too high-and-mighty.

Terrific article. I see a rare honesty, unusual in most sport. How many sportsmen can you trust not to give the PR approved line? He's a great rider to watch too.

Whingeing, spoilt trouble maker.

Drug taker.

Cheat.

Should have been banned for life - as any drug taker should.

Stever, you said what I was trying to say, but better!!

Hes only telling the truth tbh

I just can't seem to warm to Wiggins, he always comes across as a bit false - trying to create this cool, quirky persona with a blasé attitude to racing etc.

I suspect that is why he struggles to win the respect of his teammates and the rest of the peleton. Natural leaders tend to be genuine, straight-up-and-down kinda guys.

Though it always slightly strikes me as a bit like a born-again Christian, getting a little too high-and-mighty.

100% this, that's why I don't like him, he certainly needs to get off his high horse.

Millar is an extremely nice guy - candid, thoughtful and interesting (unlike most pro bike riders). He's come through some self-inflicted trials and tribulations and emerged stronger. I'm always far more interested in his doomed lone breakaways than in whatever Wiggo is doing.

I just can't seem to warm to Wiggins, he always comes across as a bit false - trying to create this cool, quirky persona with a blasé attitude to racing etc

In last years tour coverage they did a bit of a feature on sky. one morning they were in the bus getting their briefings. most riders were watching intently, studying notes etc. camera turned to Wiggins, slouched in his seat, not even facing the projector screen, ray ban sunglasses on, totally disinterested. what a prat I thought. I still think that today.

miller is ok, he has a book to push and the mainstream media want to print something prior to the TDF

I like him but i preferred his dad , robert

So anyway, thanks for the reminder. That's another copy of the book sold 🙂

His dislike of Wiggins is fair enough given what happened in 2009's Tour and how little credit the team got for Wiggins result. I'm intrigued about how he's going to deal with being a supporter of Armstrong as more and more stuff comes out.

His book is excellent by the way, well worth a read.

junkyard thats just stupid, his uncle "windy" was the legend.

BTW David is a bell end of the highest order although a superb cyclist.

A bit obsessed with demanding 'respect' for my liking(keeps banging on about it in the guardian interview). Get on with it, stop trying sell your book and cashing in on the doping, ride well and be quiet.

Just for those who were not sure....

[img] [/img]

ever the style icon, has moved on from french resistance to clarke kent/harry potter

[img] [/img]

from this interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/13675045.stm

Miller has been outspoken (arguably too outspoken) since returning from his ban it is not only now that he has a book to sell.

Unfortunately around and during the Tour is about the only time cycling gets any news coverage in the UK so he is right to plug his book now.

His comments do not appear far off the mark re Wiggins or Sky as similar comes up in other cyclists/cycling journos articles.

I recently read Ned Boulting's book and he made reference to Wiggins move from Garmin to Sky. He also stated there were 2 riders he could always look for after a stage to get a good honest interview from, David Miller and Robbie McEwen.

Yes he used EPO, he takes responsibility for that, but at least he has not come and pointed the finger at other riders saying they did it as well in order to sell books.

shibboleth & speshpaul + 1.

I met him once, I think it was probably after the Tour of Lancashire when a time trial finished on Harris End Fell. Presentation was in Scorton, about 5 miles away and I rode down with him.

He'll have been in his early twenties, before he signed for Cofidis I think. Such a nice bloke, it seems so sad that his career took such a turn for the worse with the doping.

Does he mention me in his book? 😉

His Dad?

Wiggo has done a few interviews recently and he seems to have relaxed a lot. I think the whole circus of Sky at the start was mad, well be even worse now they have Cavendish on board..........allegedly 😕

dad is a reference to Robert Millar the only brit to win a classification in TdF - king of Mountain 1984?? who is not his dad but many think he is due to sam ename and being scottish

Cheat caught? Check
Cheat becomes holier than though? Check
Cheat thinks by him throwing mud people will trust his word? Check

Sorry mate, when you've been caught and convicted you kinda lose credibility.