Back to back days on Cycling News. I could have sworn that Valverde was leading the race.
"Great ride" for Millar
Garmin-Slipstream's David Millar finished 11th on the Dauphiné's mountain top finish on Mont Ventoux yesterday, a performance which put the Scotsman in fourth position on general classification, 1.43 minutes off the current leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne). After a very strong time trial already on Wednesday, where he finished third, Millar stepped up yet another overall placing and now has the final podium within his reach.
"A great job and a great ride for David Millar!" said Garmin's team director, Lionel Marie. "An intelligent race as always, following the good form he has. It is a big result for him and for the team on top of Mont Ventoux. It's great to see him smiling.
"Yesterday he was the fastest guy in second part of time trial and today the team was around him and Dan Martin all day, protecting them for the final climb."
On a hot and windy day in Provence, it was essential for the team to work together. "Steven Cozza was there for bottles. Svein Tuft like a body guard for the first 120 kilometres with Dave [Millar] - Christian Meier and Timmy Duggan with Dan [Martin]. A total team effort."
Martin could not follow the pace on the final climb and finished 37th. "He was not feeling well today, perhaps hypoglycemia [deficiency of sugar in the blood - ed.]."
Rested Millar finds key to Dauphiné success
By Jean-François Quénet in Briançon, France
Thanks to some strong and consistent riding at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, David Millar is sitting in fifth place in the overall. The attack he launched in the final five kilometers of stage two suggested he was in form. Though that attack lasted just until the sprinters caught him with 35 meters to go, Millar continued riding well with a third place in the lengthy individual time trial of Valence. Then after an impressive 11th place finish on Mont Ventoux on Thursday, Millar rode up the Izoard on Friday during stage six with the GC leaders Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) and Alberto Contador (Astana).
"It's a bit of a surprise. I hoped to go well here at the Dauphiné, but I've hoped so many times in the recent past without success," the Scot said to Cyclingnews in Briançon before explaining his good form. "I trained too much. This time, between my time at the Giro d'Italia and the start of the Dauphiné, I've done almost nothing. I think this is the best for me: to just rest between the races and race hard."
Feeling fresh has changed Millar's impressions on the bike. "When you are going well, climbing goes very quickly," he said, referring to the Izoard climb during stage six on Friday when he never appeared in any difficulty as he kept pace with the favourites.
"Contador, Evans and Valverde are at the same level. [Robert] Gesink and [Vincenzo] Nibali are also very strong. After them, I'm kind of the best."
What he has learned from his past is not to be too excited too soon about his apparent return to the top of the world of cycling. "I'm taking every day as it comes," said Millar, who declined to name his next objective.
