The Cycliste Moderne, September 10, 2006

David Millar

David Millar won Saturday's time trial at the Vuelta a Espana. Overall, the top general classification riders matched each other's performance and as a result there were no real changes in the GC. After winning Saturday's stage, Cyclingnews.com reported that Millar proclaimed that he had done it on "bread and water" and that professional cyclists can perform at the highest level in the biggest races without "medical help."

Millar had announced that in coming back to race after his two year suspension for using EPO that he would be racing to show it could be done clean. Millar's suspension came about, not because of a failed drug test but was discovered only when his house was searched a couple of years ago in the then ongoing Cofidis investigation and police turned up used vials of EPO which Millar had used and kept after winning the World Championship in the time trial in 2003.

While it is good to see a rider come back from suspension with a new outlook on racing and a commitment to racing clean, I do have difficulty with riders who come back from doping suspensions and attempt to draw attention to the problem of drugs in sport by being vocal as to how well they now race without drugs. I also have issues with Millar, who has always seemed to have more promise than commitment and who has engaged in a variety of “enfant terrible” acts over the years.

In 2002, after crashing several times and getting hit by a team car on the stage of the Vuelta a Espana ending on the feared slopes of Angliru, Millar was given an “abandon” after he got off his bike a meter before the finish, removed his race numbers and place them on the ground and left without crossing the finish line. He had started the day in the top 10 in the GC but ripped into race organizers for a stage that was too difficult under poor conditions.

Millar had long been predicted to be the Anglo heir to Lance Armstrong. However, a few years ago in a profile of Armstrong by Sports Illustrated as its sportsman of the year for 2002, the difference between the two was demonstrated. During an interview for the article, Armstrong took a call from Millar. Armstrong had been training, Millar was out partying and drunk.

After the 2002 season, Millar was quoted by French sports paper L’Equipe as criticizing his team Cofidis for compensating the team’s riders based upon their performance. Millar felt that he was lacking the support of the team to win big races because the team’s compensation structure encouraged riders to ride for themselves.

Millar never had the maturity to be a great champion. Maybe he has it now having been suspended, losing two seasons on the bike, being forced to come back with Saunier Duval, not the biggest of teams. However, the more you hear a guy proclaim he is changed, the less you believe it. It is unfortunate that every professional athlete who announces that they have learned from their poor decisions, generally have not.


Riding in the Smoke

Air quality has been horrendous here in Boise the last week due to the large number of forest fires burning in Idaho and the hot stagnant weather. Last Thursday, the soccer league canceled all practices and games for the rest of the week. So having left the office early to come home and coach my daughter’s practice, I found myself with a free evening. So, once the Boise State-Oregon State game hit half time I decided to go for a ride. Mrs. Cycliste Moderne thought I was just going to hop on the trainer but instead I went out for ride on the roads.

The wind picked up and there was a fair amount of dry lightening. The amount of electricity in the air wreaked havoc with my heart rate monitor as a portion of my ride took me along a segment of old power lines in our neighborhood. As I was doing big laps around the Morris Hill Cemetery, my heart rate would go from 165 BPM on the side of the cemetery without power lines but then spiked to 229 BPM on the side with the power lines. I knew I was not having a heart attack just a malfunctioning heart rate monitor.

Anyway, I paid for my hour ride in the smoke on Friday as my eyes were sore and red and my lungs congested. So what did I do? Went for a ride Saturday night as well. The air was slightly cleaner and my heart rate monitor worked just fine.