David Millar promises to “change your opinion” and reveal “what goes on in pro cycling world”, after critics slam sports festival for “platforming a former doper”

Retired Scottish pro cyclist David Millar's upcoming appearance as a guest speaker at a sports festival, to speak about his journey and experiences, has received criticism online for “platforming a former doper”, forcing the organisers to release a statement clarifying that Millar will be open to answering “difficult and searching” questions about the ins and outs of the pro cycling world and that the former British champion is keen to “change opinions”.

The festival in question is the Keswick Mountain Festival (KMF), an annual festival held in May in Keswick, Cumbria, featuring a diverse category of sports like cycling, running, swimming, hiking, and more. Earlier this month, the festival announced through its social media that Millar would be joining the KMF as a speaker.

However, the response wasn’t one, perhaps, the organisers were hoping for, with many people on social media critical of the festival for giving the mic to Millar, who in 2004 initially admitted to doping on two occasions in 2001 and 2003, after he was found by French police to be in the possession of the performance-enhancing, blood boosting drug EPO and two used syringes.

💥 New Addition to the KMF Speaker Programme 💥

Introducing David Millar.....👏

David Millar has won stages of the Tour de France and La Vuelta a Espana before receiving a suspension for doping in 2004.

David will be speaking about his journey and experiences. Tickets on sale pic.twitter.com/l7FTO3SRLJ

— Keswick Mountain Festival (@KeswickFestival) March 12, 2024

Millar was subsequently suspended by British Cycling for two years and stripped of his world time trial championship along with his Tour de France and Vuelta a España stage wins, as well as receiving a lifetime ban from the British Olympic Association. 

After returning to the sport as a reformed anti-doping activist, especially after joining the outspokenly ‘clean’ Garmin-Slipstream team in 2008, Millar revealed in his 2011 autobiography, Racing Through the Dark, that he had used EPO for two years between 2001 and 2003.

> “Aggressive” Nairo Quintana asked if he was “on tramadol again” by Wout Poels during Volta a Catalunya spat

Following the backlash, KMF has shared another statement on its social media, responding to the criticisms. It wrote: “The announcement of David Millar as a speaker at KMF wasn’t met with universal approval. People didn't think we should be platforming a former doper.

“David invites you to hear his story, an inside view into what really goes on in the world of professional cycling. He wants to confront these perceptions head on with a view to changing your opinion. And he’ll be taking your questions, no matter how difficult and searching they may be.

“So come and ask what you really want to know about.”

Despite this, backlash against KMF’s decision has still lingered on. Lee Wood commented on Facebook: “Will he explain why ‘I only doped once’ ultimately became ‘I doped lots’? The problem many people have with [Millar] is not that he doped, nor that he got caught, but that he made a post-ban career based on lies, hypocrisy and being incredibly sanctimonious.

“But he’s repeatedly given a platform and no one within cycling ever calls him out on the inconsistencies in his story.”

> National TT champ Alex Dowsett calls for drugs cheats to be banned for life

However, a number of people have also expressed their support for Millar. Ben Elliot wrote: “He put his head above the parapet and became part of the wave that ended the omerta (that destroyed [Paul] Kimmage and others) to an end. Cycling needed its catharsis to end the ways of its past. The days of aspiring riders believing it's necessary to dope to win professionally or at the Olympics are gone.”

Matt Schofield also said on Twitter: “People should read his book before passing comment. Doping was rampant at the time and nearly destroyed the sport, but people like DM made a stand following a ban to lift the lid on it and save hundreds of new riders falling into the same trap! People should thank, not vilify!”

After his suspension period was over, Millar returned to the pro cycling scene and won the national road and time trial championships in 2007, as well as stacking his palmares with Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España stage wins, wearing the KOM jersey at the Tour de France and winning a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

He retired in 2014 and since 2016 has been the co-commentator on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, as well as hosting a cycling-adjacent podcast Never Strays Far with fellow ITV commentator Ned Boulting and former pro Peter Kennaugh.

Last year in August, Millar had sparked up controversy after posting a video of his new SUV, the Ineos Grenadier 4x4, with the caption: “The INEOSGrenadier has landed. There’s a fine line between madness/genius and this car is owning it.”

The @INEOSGrenadier has landed 💪🏻 There’s a fine line between madness / genius and this car is owning it 🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/lJ4YC1F3Jm

— David Millar (@millarmind) August 9, 2023

Many fans and cycling campaigners slammed the post, with Prof Matt Hannon from the University of Strathclyde writing: “When cycling superstars like David promote SUVs, you know we have a very big cultural problem regarding status symbols & conspicuous consumption. One which, in my honest opinion, presents the single biggest threat to sustainability & net-zero, as we rely ever more on people to change their lifestyles.

“I’m particularly confused by this as David is such an important spokesperson for cycling. He's an inspiration to so many, to take to two wheels and ditch four.

“I hope he can re-evaluate his values as they don’t seem compatible with one another. We need people like him onboard.”