David Millar: A career in pictures
From taking the Tour de France by storm to the dark days of doping, we take a look back at David Millar's rollercoaster career
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- Millar took the maillot jaune on his ever first day at the Tour de France
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- Celebrating a victory in Cofidis colours, a team he rode with for seven years
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- Pinning his number on to the yellow jersey in 2000
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- Millar at the 2001 Vuelta where he won two stages.
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- Fortunately the hair highlights weren’t permanent
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- He won the world time trial championships in 2003 but was stripped of the title after admitting to using EPO
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- He made his comeback at the Tour after his doping suspension in 2006. The Tour started with a prologue in Strasbourg.
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- Millar was considered a specialist time trial rider. Here he is at the 2007 Three Days of De Panne
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- Millar with compatriot Bradley Wiggins in the Dauphine 2007
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- Waiting for a new bike after a mechanical close to the finish in stage five, 2008 Giro
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- With Lance Armstrong at the start of Criterium International 2010
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- Millar in pink on stage four of the 2011 Giro. He was the first British rider to wear the leader’s jersey in all three grand tours.
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- Mark Cavendish and Millar before stage one of the 2012 Tour of Oman
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- Celebrating at the 2012 Tour de France
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- Winning stage twelve of the 2012 Tour de France, his last victory at the Tour
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- On stage 17 of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana, his final race for a trade team
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- Millar is the only British rider to have worn all Tour de France jerseys, and one of only six to have worn yellow
There aren’t many riders who divide opinion among British cycling fans as much as David Millar. His meteoric rise to the top of cycling, including wearing the maillot jaune in his first appearance at the Tour de France, made Millar the young, dynamic, British talent many of us had been waiting for.
But with so much hope and expectation can come so much disappointment. And while hindsight can tell us that the doping culture in cycling in the early 2000s was endemic, Millar’s admission to using EPO in 2004 set his career into immediate freefall, and one of Britain’s few hopes for glory on the road with it.
Yet for many, Millar has successfully ridden his road to redemption. Emerging from his troubled doping ban to lay bare the truth of what was happening in cycling’s backstage, and to become a leading voice in the anti-doping crusade, the Scotsman has done everything possible to try and rebuild his tarnished reputation.
For others though it’ll never be enough. And while Millar’s palmares – which includes four stage wins at the Tour – is testament to his natural ability on a bike, it will all be considered redundant by some for having turned to doping and relented to the darker side of cycling.
Whatever your view of Millar though, his impact on British cycling is there. From inspiring many of us to pick up a bike in the first place, to helping usher in a cleaner era of cycling, Millar may be remembered divisively, but his career will be remembered.
Take a look through our gallery at some of the defining moments of David Millar’s career.
David Millar: Rider Profile
David Millar - rider profile, biog, cycling results, photos