Sick Millar abandons Giro d'Italia's 13th stage

Scot David Millar pulled out mid-way through today's Giro d'Italia stage to Cesenatico with a fever. He pointed to the stage cold and rainy stage to L'Aquila two days ago as the likely cause.

"I was freezing and I only had a sleeveless jacket on," he told Cycling Weekly. "I thought I was okay, but for 60K I was freezing."

Millar, with Garmin-Transitions team-mate Daniel Martin, formed part of a 56-man escape that lasted for the entire day and changed the overall lead.

He nearly took the race leader's pink jersey in the first three days of racing thanks to placing seventh in the opening day's time trial in Amsterdam. He started stage four's team time trial only one second off the overall lead, but Garmin was unable to topple Astana.

Millar said that the weather marked this year's Giro d'Italia. Heavy rains turned the gravel road stage to Montalcino into a mud bath, but Millar persisted and finished 11th that day. His wife recorded the stage on television and he said that he plans to watch it while he recovers.

"It was a pretty positive [Giro d'Italia]. It has been good. We nailed the lead-outs for Tyler [Farrar], which was great," continued Millar.

"I think it is going to put me in fantastic position for the Dauphiné Libéré and Tour de France. Part of my plan was not getting sick, that was the problem, I just have to get over it now."

He will fly home to Girona, Spain, tonight to rest and recover ahead of the Tour de France. His next race is the Dauphine Libéré (June 6-13).

Sprinter Farrar plans to continue through the weekend's mountain stages, but he said that he does not intend to reach the final stage in Verona, May 30.

Related links

Giro d'Italia 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

2010 Giro d'Italia coverage in association with Zipvit