Millar wins longest Tour stage; Wiggins keeps lead
ANNONAY, France — David Millar, who describes himself as a reformed “ex-doper,” won the longest stage of the Tour de France on Friday while British countryman Bradley Wiggins kept the yellow jersey as the race left the Alps.
Millar led a five-man breakaway in the 12th stage and said he hopes his ride helps fans believe that cyclists can win cleanly. His victory came exactly 45 years after Tom Simpson, the first Briton to wear the yellow jersey, died on the slopes of daunting Mont Ventoux after using a lethal mix of amphetamines and alcohol.
Millar, who rides for the U.S. Garmin-Sharp team, has for years been cycling’s most vocal critic of doping. The 35-year-old Scotsman says he learned hard lessons after “making a mess” of his life through drug use.
The 140-mile ride from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Annonay-Davezieux featured two big climbs, but did not change the top of the standings because Wiggins and his main rivals finished together.
Millar punched the air as he edged Frenchman Jean-Christophe Peraud at the line in a two-man sprint — five seconds ahead of three others also in the breakaway on the Granier pass.
This was Millar’s fourth stage victory of his career but first since 2003. He also became the fourth Briton to win a Tour stage this year, after Mark Cavendish, Christopher Froome and Wiggins.
The victory was also a vindication for Garmin-Sharp, which had a terrible first week when it lost two top riders to crashes: Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal of Canada and Tom Danielson of the U.S.
“For me, personally, it’s enormous,” Millar said. “Today I kind of wanted to show that we’re still here, and show that Garmin-Sharp is still one of the best teams in the world.”
As for the British riders looking so strong leading to the London Olympics, Millar said: “Yeah, I think we’re at the top,” referring to himself as “the old dog” of the bunch.
Millar sped out ahead of the others in the breakaway with a little more than a mile to go, and Peraud chased. In the last mile, it was a two-man battle. With a few hundred yards left, the Frenchman struck and wheeled around, but it was not enough as Millar beat him to the line.
After the finish, an exhausted Millar lay on the ground. Microphones and cameras hovered over him as he breathed heavily and put his forearm on his forehead.
Millar, while riding for French team Cofidis, was banned from cycling for two years in 2004 after admitting to use of banned blood booster EPO — once the drug of choice for cycling cheats.
“I’m an ex-doper and I’m clean now, and I want to show everyone that it’s possible to win clean on the Tour,” Millar said.