David Millar - all mouth and no trousers?

greeny12

I'm a fan of Millar and the Slipstream/Garmin boys, but really, how poor has his Tour been?

He's certainly talked a good race, but given the form he reckoned he was in (climbing better than ever, going for yellowin the TT and Massif Central etc etc) he's performed, well, frankly sh*te.

Worst of all, surely he should have been up there in the Alps trying to support Vande Velde, but I noticed today he finished lurking in the grupetto while his leader was struggling for the first time in the race.

Bit of a shame really, he started the season so well in California but since then it's been a case of much promised (by his own mouth) with nothing to show for it.

Oh well, there's always the Tour of Britain - be lovely to have a home winner....

sing_for_absolution

Well, he's already completed a grand tour this and he's clean. Enough said.

CM92S4E

There is of course the chance that he is saving himself for an 'easier' stage win...

Breaks tend to stay away in stages between the final mountains and the TT... so he could have a go to get in one of them, but more likely if he is saving himself it is for a real shot at that final Time Trial. He did great in Cholet so he does have a chance.

Kléber

CM92S4E wrote:

There is of course the chance that he is saving himself for an 'easier' stage win...

Exactly. He tried a couple of moves this morning but they didn't work, it's always a lottery to get away in the main break of the day.

And if coming second in the Cholet TT was "sh*te", beating Cancellara and Evans, I'll have a double portion of this please

Cumulonimbus

He's performed about how i expected. He came third in the early tt and stayed high in the GC for a while. He has never been a top climber so he was never going to get yellow when the mountains started.

Vandevelde struggled a bit today but the thing is that he only struggled when the power went on. Millar wouldnt be able to cope at this point either so there was no point to him being there. I dont know how Millar ended up in the grupetto - whether he was there all day or whether he busted a gut when he could be useful (over the first climb) and then took it easy afterwards when he couldnt - he should now be able to help vandevelde tomorrow or may even go on the attack to be there later. Garmin's onjective now is stage wins and vandevelde. Millar is one of the better climbers and, as the giro team time trial showed, he is quite happy to sc#acrifice his chances for someone else's.

GroupOfOne MkII

I think the point greeny is trying to make about him supporting Vandevelde is perhaps the more interesting one. Surely Millar should by now be in the Cioni/Popo role at the front for as long as possible? Didn't pay full attention to today's stage, but certainly on other days (for example Prato Nevoso) I don't recall him hanging around VdV near the end.

Cumulonimbus

GroupOfOne MkII wrote:

I think the point greeny is trying to make about him supporting Vandevelde is perhaps the more interesting one. Surely Millar should by now be in the Cioni/Popo role at the front for as long as possible? Didn't pay full attention to today's stage, but certainly on other days (for example Prato Nevoso) I don't recall him hanging around VdV near the end.

Look where Millar finished on the Ricco stage. He tried really uhard but still camne about 60th. To expect him, to climb in the top 20 is unrealistic IMO. In fact i cant ever recall him doing so in the tour. (although he may havecome close to this for a time in, er, 2003).

afx237vi

greeny12 wrote:

Oh well, there's always the Tour of Britain - be lovely to have a home winner....

Until they put in a time trial or a stage with a lot of climbing, winning the TOB is a virtual lottery. May as well close your eyes and stick a pin in the start list.

feersumendjinn

I think we're seeing Millar for the rider he is a good domestique
Unfortunately he seems to conveniently forget that some of his more impressive performances were EPO fuelled , each time he say "i should have won, i used to be good at this" some one should remind him, preferably before he opens his mouth.

skavanagh.bikeradar

Well, let's see how he goes on Saturday eh? Then if you like, and he's not won (despite about 6 blokes potentially killing themselves for the podium, other TT specialists and the random variable of tiredness) you can have a pop at him to your hearts content.

I'm sticking up for Millar on an internet forum......what is going on in the world?

jimmythecuckoo

For a new(ish) team at the top level Slipstream have done very well.

Pink jersey in the Giro and then riders placing well in breaks and a rider in the top 10.

Ask Barloworld, Quickstep and FDJ if they would settle for that?

As for Millar, he is part of the team so has played his part in the success.

dave_1

Millar 3rd stage 4 TT was brilliant and shows he is among the fastest in the world still,,..he needs some luck

steviedonut

at least he can be arsed to go for the glory of actually completing the Tour

deal

steviedonut wrote:

at least he can be arsed to go for the glory of actually completing the Tour

Cavendish would have loved to have finished the tour, but maybe he has some loyalty and feels he owes the guys at British cycling, who have helped him get where he is today, and is determined to try and get them an Olympic medal. :roll:

drenkrom

It's true Millar could lend a bigger hand to Vandevelde, but I think Garmin would rather win a stage than place a rider in 6th place. The exposure (and opportunity for photos to be used in sponsor ads) is a lot bigger. It was also their main objective at the start of the race, alongside a day in yellow if possible. It wasn't. It still isn't. The only thing left is the stage win, then. With a TT coming up, I'd be saving Millar too. The advantage he'll give up front is not worth the chance of maybe winning a Tour TT for the team.

That is if he had the legs to be up front, of course.

Kléber

It bodes well for a TT win though. Kirchen's losing form. Schumacher's knackered himself. Evans will be worn out. Cancellara's been working hard. He hasn't been looking too well lately and the course is hillier than Cholet.

RichN95.

Kléber wrote:

It bodes well for a TT win though. Kirchen's losing form. Schumacher's knackered himself. Evans will be worn out. Cancellara's been working hard. He hasn't been looking too well lately and the course is hillier than Cholet.

Cancellara's never any good in the final TT, or Tour TTs generally. I think Millar may have a sneaky try tomorrow.

DaveyL

deal wrote:

steviedonut wrote:

at least he can be arsed to go for the glory of actually completing the Tour

Cavendish would have loved to have finished the tour, but maybe he has some loyalty and feels he owes the guys at British cycling, who have helped him get where he is today, and is determined to try and get them an Olympic medal. :roll:

Nowt to do with the Olympics. Cavendish and those giving him advice think it's maybe not a good idea for a 23 year old sprinter to ride two hard GTs in the space of three months. If the guy finished the Tour and burnt himself out (as has happened with young riders in the past) no doubt the critics would be out in force for that too.