David Millar in today's 'Observer'

Comfort_Break
Comfort_Break Posts: 8
edited January 2012 in Pro race
Must be book promotion time I guess....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... vid-millar
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Comments

  • B3rnieMac
    B3rnieMac Posts: 384
    I'm happiest when I am at home in Gerona


    he lives in the philippines??
  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    B3rnieMac wrote:
    I'm happiest when I am at home in Gerona


    he lives in the philippines??

    Stalker
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    B3rnieMac wrote:
    I'm happiest when I am at home in Gerona


    he lives in the philippines??

    Get a map & look north of Barcellona :roll:
    so many cols,so little time!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    B3rnieMac wrote:
    I'm happiest when I am at home in Gerona


    he lives in the philippines??

    Get a map & look north of Barcellona :roll:

    While you're looking at it, check the spelling. (Of Girona, mostly, but while you're at it check Barcelona)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • B3rnieMac
    B3rnieMac Posts: 384
    :lol: cheers rich
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Another Holy David piece

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ju ... -de-france

    Wiggins, in contrast, is flayed. Why does Millar feel such anger towards his fellow Briton? "We [the Garmin team in 2009] made him. We basically rode him into that fourth place finish in the Tour de France. It was not a one-man show. Itwas a team effort. He wouldn't have hit the top 10 if he'd been on any other team so that's why I was so pissed off with him. He never once gave us the respect we deserved. Mark Cavendish understands the game – Brad doesn't. He's a natural-born leader, Cav, whereas Brad has no leadership skills. The way Cav is with his team-mates helps make him an incredible rider."
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    iainf72 wrote:
    Another Holy David piece

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ju ... -de-france

    Wiggins, in contrast, is flayed. Why does Millar feel such anger towards his fellow Briton? "We [the Garmin team in 2009] made him. We basically rode him into that fourth place finish in the Tour de France. It was not a one-man show. Itwas a team effort. He wouldn't have hit the top 10 if he'd been on any other team so that's why I was so pissed off with him. He never once gave us the respect we deserved. Mark Cavendish understands the game – Brad doesn't. He's a natural-born leader, Cav, whereas Brad has no leadership skills. The way Cav is with his team-mates helps make him an incredible rider."

    Well that one's got a bit more meat on it that the other fluff pieces.

    I still can't decide whether I actually like either St D. or Wiggins though. Millar's candidness seems to come across as a little self-serving sometimes. I strongly doubt he thought
    I can do it. I can confess. I can escape this lie.
    More like "Bugger, got me bang to rights, how the f**** do I turn this around?". It's still refreshing to hear him saying stuff that isn't the bland media-trained sportsman rubbish though.

    He's also very harsh on Landis. It's as if he thinks we should still be reinforcing omerta rather than trying to break it down...
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    I think St. David has a massive chip on his shoulder with Sky Procycling that he needs to drop.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    I think St. David has a massive chip on his shoulder with Sky Procycling that he needs to drop.

    I think he was just stating fact. After all, his sister works for them, he's chummy with Brailsford.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    He's also very harsh on Landis. It's as if he thinks we should still be reinforcing omerta rather than trying to break it down...

    "What Landis has done is quite irresponsible. I think any doper who is caught has a duty to assume responsibility for speaking out against it".

    That doesn't seem to be the words of someone who thinks the omerta should be reinforced. I get the impression that he doesn't like trial by media or the internet but you don't write to the UCI expressing your concerns over what is going on in your current team (as Millar did when he was at Saunier Duval) if you're not seeking a solution to the doping problem.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    I don't think many people are surprised that Wiggins isn't as liked in the peloton as Cavendish, and that Cavendish is a better 'leader' than Wiggins.

    It's more surprising (or not) that Millar's saying it so brazenly.

    Then again, what's Millar got to lose? He's got enough capital in the team he's in and in the peloton.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I don't think many people are surprised that Wiggins isn't as liked in the peloton as Cavendish, and that Cavendish is a better 'leader' than Wiggins.

    I don't think he said Cavendish is "liked", just respected as a leader.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    You can smell the narcissism, this is a guy who loves to be loved. Also, it feels like he's always right (he'd fit in well here on the forum).

    Interesting take on Sky given, as Iain says, he's got family and friends in the team. Cav doesn't get on that well with Wiggins either.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    iainf72 wrote:
    I don't think many people are surprised that Wiggins isn't as liked in the peloton as Cavendish, and that Cavendish is a better 'leader' than Wiggins.

    I don't think he said Cavendish is "liked", just respected as a leader.

    Thats usually enough in a team. I've had bosses that I didn't like, but they were still good bosses. Cav has always made a big play of bigging up the team from the start, he's either a genuinely good captain or he just got some very good advice as a young rider. As a sprinter I think he know that he's always going to be more dependent on his team than other riders, where Wiggins comes from a background of individual pursuit and TTing, so for most of his career has either been riding solo or when riding on the road he's been a domestique. It does seem this year that he's learnt some lessons (maybe from the "rollicking" that Brailsford gave him) and is playing the team leader part much better.

    I have the Millar book but haven't started it yet. The more sanctimonious guff I read from him though, the less I look forward to reading it. I like Millar as a rider, fantastic TTer and an aggressive racer, but have never understood why he gets more respect than other ex dopers. He only confessed when he realised that it was in his best interests.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    I think what may really be annoying Millar about his exclusion from Sky is that, despite the "zero tolerance" policy, the only real difference between him and some of the Sky staff and riders is that he got caught.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I have the Millar book but haven't started it yet. The more sanctimonious guff I read from him though, the less I look forward to reading it. I like Millar as a rider, fantastic TTer and an aggressive racer, but have never understood why he gets more respect than other ex dopers. He only confessed when he realised that it was in his best interests.

    No, I think you'll have a different opinion if you read the book. The whole story is quite fascinating.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    edited June 2011
    LangerDan wrote:
    I think what may really be annoying Millar about his exclusion from Sky is that, despite the "zero tolerance" policy, the only real difference between him and some of the Sky staff and riders is that he got caught.

    Why?

    Garmin are a stronger team than sky are.

    You also get the impression Garmin are happier with the slightly unusual personality types.

    Millar needs a lot of attention in his own way.

    He also has a stake in Garmin, which he took out long before Sky existed.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    iainf72 wrote:
    I have the Millar book but haven't started it yet. The more sanctimonious guff I read from him though, the less I look forward to reading it. I like Millar as a rider, fantastic TTer and an aggressive racer, but have never understood why he gets more respect than other ex dopers. He only confessed when he realised that it was in his best interests.

    No, I think you'll have a different opinion if you read the book. The whole story is quite fascinating.

    It's worth a punt then?

    St. Dave is like the rest of us. Bit of an arse some of the time, probably OK when there's not a mic in his face or he has somat to sell.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    The Millar book is good. A step up from most sporting autobiographies. The whole riding clean -> doping -> getting caught timeline is fascinating.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    iainf72 wrote:
    The Millar book is good. A step up from most sporting autobiographies. The whole riding clean -> doping -> getting caught timeline is fascinating.

    The book's £18 isn't it?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    iainf72 wrote:
    The Millar book is good. A step up from most sporting autobiographies. The whole riding clean -> doping -> getting caught timeline is fascinating.

    The book's £18 isn't it?

    That's what the article says. But if you can drive the internetz, it's much less

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Through- ... 588&sr=8-1
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    The book's £18 isn't it?
    Picked up my hardback copy for just under a tenner at Amazon. Fascinating stuff so far and not even a third of the way in.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    Alright.

    Which do I buy first, Slaying the Badger or this?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Slaying the Badger - there are two complex characters covered in that, both of whom rank amongst the all time greats of the sport.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    LangerDan wrote:
    I think what may really be annoying Millar about his exclusion from Sky is that, despite the "zero tolerance" policy, the only real difference between him and some of the Sky staff and riders is that he got caught.

    Why?

    Garmin are a stronger team than sky are.

    You also get the impression Garmin are happier with the slightly unusual personality types.

    Millar needs a lot of attention in his own way.

    He also has a stake in Garmin, which he took out long before Sky existed.

    Why?
    Millar sees himself as the elder statesman of British cycling and a "leader of men" (in a way he reckons Wiggins isn't). Where better to end his career?
    Plus they supposedly offer good money. I don't know if his stake in Garmin is worth a huge amount. Father Vaughters keeps coming up with bizzare estimates of the teams value based on TV exposure but I doubt that the squad's value is the tiniest fraction of that. Some time back, Magnus Backstedt commented on how pro team funding is just a higher cost version of an amateur club. Get some money at the start of the year, spend it all, end the year with nothing. I'd imagine the only asset that Garmin have is their Pro licence. (and few used sat-navs, covered in baguette crumbs and spittle)

    In any case, I suspect that Millar would like to be asked to join Sky, even if it was only to refuse it.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    LangerDan wrote:
    In any case, I suspect that Millar would like to be asked to join Sky, even if it was only to refuse it.

    He was. In his book, he says that he had decided to join Sky before they brought their no ex-dopers policy in.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pat1cp
    pat1cp Posts: 766
    iainf72 wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    The Millar book is good. A step up from most sporting autobiographies. The whole riding clean -> doping -> getting caught timeline is fascinating.

    The book's £18 isn't it?

    That's what the article says. But if you can drive the internetz, it's much less

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Through- ... 588&sr=8-1

    Can anyone tell me why the kindle version is 50p dearer ?? I don't get it !!!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    pat1cp wrote:
    Can anyone tell me why the kindle version is 50p dearer ?? I don't get it !!!

    You pay tax on kindle books, for a start.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • pat1cp
    pat1cp Posts: 766
    iainf72 wrote:
    pat1cp wrote:
    Can anyone tell me why the kindle version is 50p dearer ?? I don't get it !!!

    You pay tax on kindle books, for a start.

    Apparently it's 5%, which accounts for the 50p difference, but what about producing the book ?
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    iainf72 wrote:
    I have the Millar book but haven't started it yet. The more sanctimonious guff I read from him though, the less I look forward to reading it. I like Millar as a rider, fantastic TTer and an aggressive racer, but have never understood why he gets more respect than other ex dopers. He only confessed when he realised that it was in his best interests.

    No, I think you'll have a different opinion if you read the book. The whole story is quite fascinating.

    Yes, I'm looking forward to reading it really. The only downside of the modern internet era is that you seem to get a massive overload of hype for these things...all the cycling press, twitter and many of the top UK newspaper have been full off him and even the most likeable people start to grate after a while.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)