David Millar to retire at the end of 2014 season

British stalwart David Millar has announced he will call time on a long professional cycling career at the end of the 2014 season.

Speaking to Dutch media outlet Wieler Revue, the 36-year-old, who will mark his 17th year as a professional in 2014, said the decision was not difficult.

"It's been quite organic really," he said. "It's been one of those things where you always think it's going to be a definitive moment, but it hasn't. It's kind of crept up and I'm suddenly realising that it's time."

Millar won his career fourth individual Tour stage last season and is confident he can still be "on top of the game" in his final year as a professional cyclist in which he could compete on UK soil more than once. The Giro d'Italia starts in Belfast, the Tour de France begins in Yorkshire and then there's the possibility, as reigning time-trial champion, to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games on home turf in Glasgow.

"I can still be on top of the game, I know that, but it's a lot harder for me now," he said. "I know I can get that out of me with the motivation knowing it's my last year."

David Millar: Major career victories

2012

Tour de France, stage 12

2011

Giro d'Italia; stage 21 ITT

2010

Criterium International; stage three ITT

Three Days of De Panne; stage three b ITT

Three Days of De Panne; overall

Commonwealth Games time trial

Chrono des Nations time trial

2009

Edinburgh Nocturne

Tour of Spain; stage 20

2008

Giro d'Italia; stage one, TTT

2007

Paris-Nice; prologue

British national road race champion

British national time trial champion

2006

Tour of Spain; stage 14

British national individual pursuit champion

2003

Tour of Spain; stage 17

Tour de France; stage 19 ITT

Three Days of West Flanders; stage, one

Tour of Burgos; stage four

Tour de Picardie

2002

Tour de France; stage 13

2001

Tour of Spain; stage one

Tour of Spain; stage six

Circuit de la Sarthe; overall

Circuit de la Sarthe; stage four

Circuit de la Sarthe; stage five

Tour of Denmark; overall

Tour of Denmark; stage five

2000

Tour de France; stage one

Route du Sud; stage one (b)

1999

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana; mountains classification

1998

Three Days of de Panne; stage three

Tour de l'Avenir; prologue

Tour de l'Avenir; stage six

1997

Tour de l'Avenir; prologue

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