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David Millar downplays his Olympic hopes as WADA challenges BOA bylaw that bans him

Scot adopts wait-and-see attitude ahead of CAS hearing in the new year

David Millar has given his reaction to the news that the British Olympic Association (BOA) lifetime ban on convicted dopers from representing the country in the Olympics is to be challenged by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), downplaying – for now at least – any thoughts of competing at London 2012.

Great Britain is the only country that imposes such a ban. However, legal experts consider it to have been undermined by a CAS ruling last month in the case of the American athlete, LaShawn Merritt.

While that decision alone would give Millar strong grounds to challenge the BOA ban, he has said that he won’t do so, a point he repeated when talking to BBC Radio 5 Live at the weekend.

"I'd written off the Olympics a long time ago,” the 34-year-old revealed. “I didn't want to challenge the lifetime ban, there are certain fights I don't want to fight and that was one of them.

"I just don't fancy being vilified any more, it's been quite a tough few years. I'm pleased WADA are fighting it.”

The case will be heard in the new year. Should the BOA lose it, Millar, who has campaignerdagainst doping since his ban from cycling ended in 2006 and now sits on WADA’s athletes panel, would have no need to challenge the bylaw himself and would be available for selection.

If that happened, then Millar, who took time trial silver at the World Championships behind Fabian Cancellara last year as well as Commonwealth gold in Delhi, could potentially be targeting a medal in that event at London 2012.

Last week, Mark Cavendish said that he’d like to see the man who acted as road captain when he won the rainbow jersey in Copenhagen in September line up alongside him next July in the Olympic Road Race.

For now, however, the Garmin-Cervelo rider is playing down the prospect of being at the Games. "We'll see about London 2012, it's not something I've dreamt about. We'll leave it out there and see what happens."

Millar did confess, however, that he was “quite surprised” by the timing of WADA’s challenge. “I thought it was something that would happen post-Olympics. To have WADA react so quickly is quite good.”

Millar went on to explain that he believed that banning someone for life was not compatible with the concept of seeking to rehabilitate offenders.

"A first-time offence is punished with a lifetime ban, but every case must be judged on its own merits,” he explained.

"Not every single athlete should be treated the same way. Cases are so different and nothing can be judged the same way.

"There is a place for lifetime bans in sport, but I'd like to think what I've been through is a shining example of being worth a second chance.

"I push very hard now to educate people on the complexities of doping within sport. We're getting better at catching cheats, but WADA are trying to universalise the sanctioning process. Every country must act under the same umbrella," he maintained.

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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7 comments

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Karbon Kev | 12 years ago
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This hypocrite and holier-than-thou 'reborn' rider should have had a life ban, I don't think any team should trust him.

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Faroon | 12 years ago
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He paid for his crime, he's done his time, and I think he deserves another chance.

Let him stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world, test him to ensure he's not doping, the same as anyone else, and let him prove himself.

It speaks volumes that he is not fighting this himself, and that those around him feel strongly enough to speak about it in public.

Let him race.

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lushmiester | 12 years ago
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Put simply if we expect people to show remorse and repentance then there should be rehabilitation and forgiveness.
Yes doping in any sport should not be tolerated, it is cheating based on a lie. However, we do need to make the punishment fit the crime and to believe people can change their ways.
I for one respect the man David Miller appears to have become, but I do not have to like some of his past actions. Even if the discovery of those actions has contributed to his change.
Which brings me to my final point deterrent is as much dependent upon the certainty of getting court as it is on the size of the punishment or we will face the "hung for a sheep as a lamb" dilemma.

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Raleigh | 12 years ago
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He's clearly shown that he regretted his decision though, and been one of the most prevalant anti dopers in the peleton

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charliegirl2008 | 12 years ago
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Short and sweet, NO doper, irrespective of nationality, should be allowed to participate in the Olympics!

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pmr | 12 years ago
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Millar speaks a lot of sense, and I can understand why Cav wants him. Plus I'd personally like to see him at the Olympics, he is a winner.
However, I fully back the BOA's hardline stance on doping, even if it means nice guys like David missing out, we lead the world in this regard and that is something to be proud of.
Any old cheat can CLAIM they are rehabilitated and start all over again.
I do believe David's case is more complex than say Dwayne Chambers, but at the end of the day he did cheat.
Its almost a given that he'd be at Team Sky if he didn't have previous too, which is something he has to live with. I don't see Sky changing their policy either though and hats off to them.

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Simon_MacMichael replied to pmr | 12 years ago
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pmr wrote:

Millar speaks a lot of sense, and I can understand why Cav wants him. Plus I'd personally like to see him at the Olympics, he is a winner.
However, I fully back the BOA's hardline stance on doping, even if it means nice guys like David missing out, we lead the world in this regard and that is something to be proud of.

WADA's view is the opposite - that by continuing to apply what is in effect a separte penalty outside the WADC (and one that predates it) we are behind the rest of the world.

It's a difficult one, and there a strong arguments for and against. My personal view is that if a country signs up to an internationally agreed standard, it's difficult to then seek to enforce specific local rules that go beyond that.

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