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British Cycling confirm David Millar mentoring GB academy riders (+ video)

Retired pro's presence may prove controversial - but Shane Sutton tackles doping issue head on...

British Cycling has confirmed that retired pro cyclist David Millar is mentoring riders on its men’s academy programme following its relocation to Italy, to hand down his experience of nearly two decades in the professional peloton. It adds that he may take on an official role from the end of February.

Millar is working “on a voluntary basis” at British Cycling’s newly established facility near Montechiari in Tuscany, but given his doping past, his presence there is likely to prove controversial in some quarters.

That’s an issue that Great Britain Cycling Team technical director Shane Sutton meets head on, saying: “Nurturing an anti-doping culture is at the heart of everything we do at British Cycling and educating our young riders on the subject is a responsibility we take seriously.

“Having someone of David’s calibre on board to support us in this education process is invaluable; he is readily available to share his well-rounded experiences as a professional cyclist to the young riders who aspire to succeed in their careers.”

Millar received a two-year ban in 2004 after police raided his home in Biarritz and discovered two used syringes which he said he had kept as mementoes to remind him not to use EPO, as he subsequently admitted having done while riding for Cofidis.

He was also stripped of the world time trial title he had won in 2003, and says in his 2011 book Racing Through The Dark that during his suspension he sat down with British Cycling and revealed to them the extent of doping inside the professional peloton.

Millar says that helped the governing body put safeguards in place to ensure young riders on its development programme didn’t follow the same route.

On his return to racing, he became a vociferous campaigner against doping and sat on the World Anti Doping Agency’s athlete’s panel.

As a winner of stages in all three Grand Tours – he is one of only two Britons to have worn the leader’s jersey in each of them – and with a tactical awareness that saw him act as road captain when Mark Cavendish won the rainbow jersey in 2011, Sutton says he also has a role to play in helping develop young talent from a sporting aspect.

“In addition to his mentor work, David brings with him a massive amount of training and tactical knowledge which will support the work of the coaches, and he’s become a well-respected figure in cycling which will help us to open doors when it comes to fielding young talent into professional road teams,” said Sutton.

“David will work with the squad on a voluntary basis until the end of the month with a view to subsequently joining the team in a more official capacity,” Sutton added.

The Australian talks about Millar’s involvement with the team in greater detail in this video.

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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8 comments

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EddyBerckx | 8 years ago
3 likes

I think it's a great idea. I've read both his books and it's obvious he learnt from his mistakes and has been punished enough. Young athletes need people like him to ensure they dont make the same mistakes he did

Avatar
dannycarr2k replied to EddyBerckx | 8 years ago
1 like

StoopidUserName wrote:

I think it's a great idea. I've read both his books and it's obvious he learnt from his mistakes and has been punished enough. Young athletes need people like him to ensure they dont make the same mistakes he did

 

He came across as blaming the culture of cycling, lack of a support network, and cheating to keep up with the Joneses.  Hardly a resounding, heartfelt apology or admission of cheating. He is, however, in good company with Hincapie, et al. Professional dopers all appear to use the same, formulaic, press release. "Sorry I got caught. Sorry to my friends and family. I only did it because everyone else was doing it. What was I supposed to do - accept not winning or dope?"

Appalling BC. Appalling.

Avatar
adscrim | 8 years ago
9 likes

Let the youngsters learn from his mistakes instead of making their own.  I bet he's got a pretty impassioned story or two about handing back a World Champs jersey.

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Paul J | 8 years ago
5 likes

What better way to demonstrate to kids that you shouldn't dope than to have David Millar roll up in his sponsored Masserati to tell them of its perils? In between scooting around his different brand ambassador obligations...

"Doping doesn't pay, well... let me start again".

Avatar
sneakerfrfeak replied to Paul J | 8 years ago
4 likes

Paul J wrote:

What better way to demonstrate to kids that you shouldn't dope than to have David Millar roll up in his sponsored Masserati to tell them of its perils? In between scooting around his different brand ambassador obligations... "Doping doesn't pay, well... let me start again".

Would it be OK if he gets a taxi instead?

Avatar
Carton replied to sneakerfrfeak | 8 years ago
0 likes

sneakerfrfeak wrote:

Paul J wrote:

What better way to demonstrate to kids that you shouldn't dope than to have David Millar roll up in his sponsored Masserati to tell them of its perils? In between scooting around his different brand ambassador obligations... "Doping doesn't pay, well... let me start again".

Would it be OK if he gets a taxi instead?

Maybe he can split an Addison Lee with Dennis Mitchell?

I think he'd be a great mentor on effective writing, dealing with the media, cycling fashion, souvenir shopping and the like.

Avatar
imajez replied to sneakerfrfeak | 8 years ago
0 likes

sneakerfrfeak wrote:

Paul J wrote:

What better way to demonstrate to kids that you shouldn't dope than to have David Millar roll up in his sponsored Masserati to tell them of its perils? In between scooting around his different brand ambassador obligations... "Doping doesn't pay, well... let me start again".

Would it be OK if he gets a taxi instead?

I think you missed point being made.

Avatar
Poptart242 | 8 years ago
3 likes

I'm all for it. He's tactically one of the best around and given how much he's campaigned against the pressure on vulnerable athletes to dope, it's a no brainer.

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