Cycling is one of the cleanest sports

Good news for the cycling fans all over shaken up by the dope confessions of legendary rider Lance Armstrong. David Miller, the reformed British drug user has lately claimed that presently he feels cycling as one among the cleanest of sports. Added to his latest claim, Millar stressed that however, it would take another decade to gain back the credibility in cycling given the surpassed amount of dope scandals coming into light in the recent times- especially the shattering confession of Armstrong’s drug consumptions which helped him to earn the coveted yellow jersey in Tour de France from 1999-2005.

While attending a session in a Madrid anti-dope agency forum, the British pro emphasized that the present genre cyclists are geared for a clean race sans any kind drug consumption for enhancing their performance in the championships.

“We have already cleaned up the sport and professional cycling can now be taken as one among the cleanest of sports across the world. We have brought in the goodness of anti-doping culture lately as otherwise cycling was about to die down. But again it might take another scandal free (dope scandal) ten years from now on to regain back the credibility and faith of the public in cycling”, Millar said.

Added to the statement, Millar expressed that he believes that the winners from last 3 Grand Tours- Bradley Wiggins (2012 Tour de France), Ryder Hesjedal (Giro d’Italia) & Alberto Contador (Vuelta e Espana) have achieved a clean victory. He further stressed that he felt that probably this is the 1st time in cycling history that all of the 3 Grand Tour winners had been honest & clean in one single year. “However, given the legacy left by Lance Armstrong, a great number of people won’t be sure of these achievements”, remarked the British pro.


Millar may join British squad

Well, Millar was not really available for a comment on the top news that again he would be entitled to ride for the Great Britain in Olympic Games. Recently, David Millar had told that the speculation regarding the court of arbitration for sport suit had led to a huge amount of care coming his way suddenly, and his Twitter account called for that no single one ask him or even his sister – who has previously pretended as his spokesperson – regarding the affair.

His sister Fran, who works at Team Sky that could not utilize her brother as of its broad ban on previous dopers, told something very similar via her Twitter account, saying that she is “immensely proud” of David Millar, her brother.

There is a straight symmetry in David Millar’s possible come back in the 2012 Olympic Games wave, for in 2004 this was in the run-up to Athens where he was caught by the police of French as a part of a probe in the Cofidis team.

Millar’s creed that he had practiced EPO the last year, as well as in the year 2001, put him out of the game for 2 years, even as Millar was beginning to work with Great Britain team – he had begun being trained in the year 2004 by Peter Keen, having decided to race “clean” before he was caught – with a view to racing on track and on the roads in Athens. Millar’s personal introduction as an anti-doping candidate, as well as co-founder of Garmin team that has anti-doping as one of their key rules, make emotional resonances all the stronger.


DAVID MILLAR

David Millar the British cyclist is known for both known for famous and infamous reasons. Being the only British cyclist to have worn all the jerseys of tour de France and also one of the four to have worn the yellow jersey, he has been suspended more than once for using banned performance enhancing drugs. He has won a number of time trial championships, topped the prologue of tour de France and other cycling meets. On 2004 he was arrested for doping and was banned for the following 2 years. Other than this he was also banned from taking part in the Olympics.

The comeback of David Millar occurred in the year 2006 and he took part in that year’s tour de France. Though he couldn’t make a stand in that year’s tour de France, he managed to win a time trial at the 2006 Vuelta a Espana. After this his performance began to improve with each race and he got back the form he had before being suspended. He recorded his first win in two years after winning the stage twenty time trial in Vuelta. David kept up his winning spree by finishing third in the prologue of 2010 tour de France and won the gold in that year’s commonwealth games in time trial and bronze in  road race.

David Millar is suffering a lifetime Olympic ban after he admitted to doping. Though the World Anti-Doping Agency said that the ban is unenforceable it is being challenged by the British Olympic Agency. He confessed on air that he had used performance enhancing drugs during 2001 edition of tour de France. Even if the ban is lifted David isn’t sure whether he will perform in Olympics any more though he is eager to perform in 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.


MILLAR WAITS UNTIL APRIL

Disgraced British cyclist David Millar will have to wait till the end of April to learn whether he will be able to compete for Great Britain at the upcoming London Olympic Games after the International Court of Arbitration for Sport set the date for the hearing into the British Olympic Association’s lifetime ban for those caught doping.

The Article 25 of the law book of the British Olympic Association states that no athlete who is banned for six months or more for a doping offence will be eligible for selection into the Great Britain’s Olympic Team. However, the World Anti Doping Agency ruled in November that this ban by the British Olympic Association is illegal as it violates the code of conduct of WADA, for amounting to a second sanction.

The British Olympic Association quickly challenged the statement of WADA and moved to the International Court of Arbitration of Sports which has set a date for the hearing on the 12th of March, 2012 with David Millar leaning his fate at the final hearing in April. The British cyclist was banned in 2004 for two years after he was found guilty of using the banned substance EPO.

The 35 year old Millar played a pivotal role in Mark Cavendish winning the World Championship in October, 2011 and according to Manx Missile, who is now representing athletes at the WADA, Millar has done enough to redeem himself for what he did back in 2004. Cavendish also came out in support of the disgraced cyclist, claiming that Millar has realized his mistake and learned from it and is now campaigning for dope free sports.

However, according to an insider at the British Olympic Association, they are hopeful that the International Court of Arbitration for Sports will uphold the ban on David Millar, and therefore, send a strong message for future offenders.