In search of Robert Millar - Richard Moore

RichN95.

Full Merckx wrote:

It's no wonder you end up deep frying everything, the chips are all stuck on your shoulders.

That was an inflammatory and offensive comment, perhaps this thread has now reached it's logical conclusion.

Perhaps though it is a reflection of Millar himself who comes across in the book as quite a socially challenged individual. c.f. the incident at the airport

It was deliberately inflammatory, I know how the Scotch people like to get wound up. (It's only offensive to the really thin skinned though).

Back to Mr Millar. He doesn't seem to be particularly socially challenged to me, just someone who doesn't fit into a specific idea of 'normality'. He just does what he wants to do, not what others want him to do. I'm sure he's quite sociable when he wants to be (as he was on here) and not when he doesn't want to be.

johny c

Danlikesbikes wrote:

For what its worth I liked the book - sure if the book was written by him himself then maybe it would have been completely different. But as a book it gave a glimpse into the life of someone who many years ago as I child I used to watch on TV & still think of as on of the greats of the cycling world.

If as a person he decides to hide away from the publicity I have no problems with that in fact it just adds to the character of the man.

I agree with you Dan, gi'e the boy peace.

ps. Rich, some culinary culture from Scotia for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tln9RhHL3w

exlaser

johny c wrote:

Danlikesbikes wrote:

For what its worth I liked the book - sure if the book was written by him himself then maybe it would have been completely different. But as a book it gave a glimpse into the life of someone who many years ago as I child I used to watch on TV & still think of as on of the greats of the cycling world.

If as a person he decides to hide away from the publicity I have no problems with that in fact it just adds to the character of the man.

I agree with you Dan, gi'e the boy peace.

i also could not agree more!

and also inview of what was implided in the book, i think it would be a nice idea if this thread quietly died, so he/ she can live in peace and in private.

gotheteeshirt2

http://youtu.be/YOtpgz4L5d8


Oh if only my application for the social skills development course at Royston Vasey Uni had been accepted .

oldwelshman

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

http://youtu.be/YOtpgz4L5d8


Oh if only my application for the social skills development course at Royston Vasey Uni had been accepted .

Le Commentateur

I was going to post that RM would have probably walked away from this "debate" somewhere on p.1...

OffTheBackAdam

Baltacha's world ranking of 49, at her peak, isn't exactly much to shout about.
I don't know why the Jocks are claiming her, born in Kiev, to Russian/Ukrainian parents & she lives in Ipswich!
Millar was never a great talker, commentators might've got a word or two out of him. Cav's got a load of charisma (& possibly good looks? Seems to get some of our female contributors hogged up!) to go along with his talent.

mroli

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

Baltacha's world ranking of 49, at her peak, isn't exactly much to shout about.

Yeah - she's rubbish :roll:

bompington

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

http://youtu.be/YOtpgz4L5d8


Oh if only my application for the social skills development course at Royston Vasey Uni had been accepted .

Well chaps, we are all utterly pwned [/hushed reverence]

Tusher

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

http://youtu.be/YOtpgz4L5d8


Oh if only my application for the social skills development course at Royston Vasey Uni had been accepted .

It's yourself!!!


(prostrates self on ground)


We're not worthy, sir, we're not worthy!

ynyswen24

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

http://youtu.be/YOtpgz4L5d8


Oh if only my application for the social skills development course at Royston Vasey Uni had been accepted .

Welcome back. Are you still coaching, only I'm getting slower the older I get and was never that fast to start with...

rocksteadyeddie

As above if you liked the Robert Millar book, then Chasing the Badger is also very good.

To these two I would add Fallen Angel by William Fotherington (re Coppi) and We were Young and Carefree by Laurent Fignon. Excellent both.

The other Millar book's not bad either.

Campervan27

I cannot believe that Gottheteeshirt2 has actually replied to my thread. I am thrilled !
This thread was in praise of Richard Moore's book and of Robert Millar as a British and Scottish cyclist and was certainly not meant to drive up an arguement or debate on whether the Scots get ignored as cyclists which personally I think is bollocks.
Rob, you are a Legend and the reason that I am still fit as a fiddle at 38 years old and can nail 100 milers in 5 1/2 hours and now my 8 year old is also fanatical on cycling. You are a true inspiration! Just a simple and direct thank you really.

gotheteeshirt2

ynyswen24 wrote:

Welcome back. Are you still coaching, only I'm getting slower the older I get and was never that fast to start with...

At the moment for my coaching career ( ho ho ) I only give some advice to a friend of a friend kind of thing but I'll probably take on a bit more this winter . Ideally two just out of junior under23s , two elites and two pro level riders ....... that would an interesting challenge but it's something I need to work out with a few people first .

Coach hat on . As for getting slower from a low base you need to look at it in a positive light , as a percentage loss it'll be less than if your cycling was all razzle dazzle and easily won sprints
So as the years go by and all those people who you secretly hate for dropping you when they want find themselves getting slower and slower you will realise that you've come up to their level . It's all about perspective .

rocksteadyeddie

We are truly not worth, Sir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2FhdKWFmgg

One of the finest stages in the Tour ever, voiced over with some of the most evocative commentary. I can still remember watching this live all those years ago.

rockmount

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

http://youtu.be/YOtpgz4L5d8


Oh if only my application for the social skills development course at Royston Vasey Uni had been accepted .

I think you'd still stand a good chance in the Royston Vasey Tuesday night hill climb, though Papa Lazarou might give you a run for your money ...

oldwelshman

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

ynyswen24 wrote:

Welcome back. Are you still coaching, only I'm getting slower the older I get and was never that fast to start with...

At the moment for my coaching career ( ho ho ) I only give some advice to a friend of a friend kind of thing but I'll probably take on a bit more this winter . Ideally two just out of junior under23s , two elites and two pro level riders ....... that would an interesting challenge but it's something I need to work out with a few people first .

Coach hat on . As for getting slower from a low base you need to look at it in a positive light , as a percentage loss it'll be less than if your cycling was all razzle dazzle and easily won sprints
So as the years go by and all those people who you secretly hate for dropping you when they want find themselves getting slower and slower you will realise that you've come up to their level . It's all about perspective .

Two under23's, two elites and two pro's ? A more interesting challenge would be a 50 yearold who has never been coached at anything with ambitions for worlds masters The only king of mountains I could contend would be downhill

ynyswen24

gotheteeshirt2 wrote:

ynyswen24 wrote:

Welcome back. Are you still coaching, only I'm getting slower the older I get and was never that fast to start with...

At the moment for my coaching career ( ho ho ) I only give some advice to a friend of a friend kind of thing but I'll probably take on a bit more this winter . Ideally two just out of junior under23s , two elites and two pro level riders ....... that would an interesting challenge but it's something I need to work out with a few people first .

Coach hat on . As for getting slower from a low base you need to look at it in a positive light , as a percentage loss it'll be less than if your cycling was all razzle dazzle and easily won sprints
So as the years go by and all those people who you secretly hate for dropping you when they want find themselves getting slower and slower you will realise that you've come up to their level . It's all about perspective .

Thank you Rob, that's a very glass half full way of looking at it! Realistically I know that I'm fitter now than when I was young enough to have been coached properly...at least my false teeth haven't shot out when crossing a cattle grid coming down off the Black Mountain! Razzle dazzle I never could do.
It's good to hear that you might be doing some more structured coaching soon, maybe you'll only be able to help a few riders as you described but the knowledge and experience you have are too valuable to go unused and whoever does get help will be a lucky bunch of buggers. But that doesn't mean we don't hope you'll do some more writing, even if it's not a full book then at least more in the vein of the piece you did for Rouleur - that was cracking.
Any thoughts on Wiggins and Froome in the Vuelta? I was joking with my mate Jose the other day that it was payback time for the Vuelta that you were helped to not win (if thats a polite way of phrasing it...).

Campervan27

Scottish, British or Wider European riders?

andyrr

For me, this
http://www.youtube.com/user/chickasmith ... PUDiiMuuIg
perfectly shows Robert's ability to hammer the legs of his opponents on a stage that he is determined to win - didn't work out that tiem though but the multiple attacks are/were just unbelievable.

Ron Stuart

How about this guy....

http://www.scottish-memories.co.uk/maga ... toryID=774

or this fella.....

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Howza ... 5519537.jp

In that most quintessentially of English sports

rocksteadyeddie

andyrr wrote:

For me, this
http://www.youtube.com/user/chickasmith ... PUDiiMuuIg
perfectly shows Robert's ability to hammer the legs of his opponents on a stage that he is determined to win - didn't work out that time though but the multiple attacks are/were just unbelievable.

Several things strike me watching these old Tour videos:

1) The riding style - much slower cadence, and more upper body movement
2) The time gaps on stages and GC
3) The crappy quality of the TV pictures
4) The significantly better commentary of Phil Liggett
5) What a talent Robert Millar was. Massively under appreciated in this country to this day.

Real nostalgic stuff. Brilliant.

Campervan27

I think you might be on the wrong Forum, Cricket man??? Pro Race, me thinks not.

Ron Stuart

Campervan27 wrote:

I think you might be on the wrong Forum, Cricket man??? Pro Race, me thinks not.

For the benefit of the above:-

Sports and Sports Folk other than cycling that had already been mentioned on this thread prior to my tounge in cheek responce:-

Hockey
Micheal Johnson
Scottish Sportsmen
Andy Murray
Elena Baltacha
Jim Watt (yeh you heard)
John Conteh
Lenox Lewis

:shock: :shock: :shock: :roll: :roll:

Campervan27

For something which I highlighted earlier in my thread that this was not a discussion about.
Get your own thread Mike Gatting!

k-dog

RichN95 wrote:

If they're 'Anglo-Centric', it's because England is ten times the size of Scotland. So there's more news. I bet the Scottish media have more Glasgow news than Inverness news.

England is only 1.65 times the size of Scotland - it's just that most maps you see are tilted because they are also Anglo-Centric - and South-Anglo-Centric at that.

Just under 10x the population though.

Campervan27

at least my name isn't Ronald.

Hahahaha!

bompington

Campervan27 wrote:

...my thread

If there's one thing you should learn quite quickly on the internet, it's that as soon as you hit the submit button you've set it free, and it is no longer "your thread"

disgruntledgoat

Rocksteadyeddie wrote:

andyrr wrote:

For me, this
http://www.youtube.com/user/chickasmith ... PUDiiMuuIg
perfectly shows Robert's ability to hammer the legs of his opponents on a stage that he is determined to win - didn't work out that time though but the multiple attacks are/were just unbelievable.

Several things strike me watching these old Tour videos:

1) The riding style - much slower cadence, and more upper body movement
2) The time gaps on stages and GC
3) The crappy quality of the TV pictures
4) The significantly better commentary of Phil Liggett
5) What a talent Robert Millar was. Massively under appreciated in this country to this day.

Real nostalgic stuff. Brilliant.

They were all using 42 tooth inner rings back then, for a start.

As to point 5... I work in Glasgow and none of my native colleagues have a clue who Robert Millar is. That's bizarre.

I was never really aware of Robert, a Cycling Weekly piece on the Fred Whitton route aside (my local ride), but as I get older I find my appreciatono of him growing. Particularly his individual streak, as a man who has suffered for that for a long time!

seanoconn

It would be very interesting to hear Robert's views on how this Vuelta is shaping up if he's had a chance to watch any. Particularly with the Brits doing so well and considering that Robert would have been the first British man to win a grand tour were it not for the fact his team director messed up so badly. Yesterdays stage had gradient of +20%, what kind of gearing would Robert have used I wonder?