David Millar takes on mentor role at British Cycling

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David Millar has taken on a voluntary role with British Cycling that sees him act as a mentor to young and upcoming riders in the system, helping in particular to foster a strong anti-doping culture in the Italian-based men's under 23 endurance academy. The next generation of riders are expected to form the base of the Great Britain track and road teams for the 2020 Olympics in Japan and beyond.   

Millar, who was arrested and banned in 2004 for using prohibited substances before returning to the sport as a prominent anti-doping voice, is using his experiences and knowledge to help ensure the next generation don't make the same mistakes as he did, while also supporting the coaches with technical advice in terms of training and tactics. His contacts and relations in the world of professional cycling will also help the riders find places in major teams.

He will spend time with the riders at British Cycling's new European base in Montichiari, near Verona, where the men's endurance academy programme recently relocated. He will start on a one-month trial until the end of February. After that a decision will be taken over whether he will join the team in an official and remunerated capacity. 

“Nurturing an anti-doping culture is at the heart of everything we do at British Cycling and educating our young riders on the subject is a responsibility we take seriously," said British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton, who also speaks about Millar in the video below. 

“Having someone of David’s calibre on board to support us in this education process is invaluable; he is readily available to share his well-rounded experiences as a professional cyclist to the young riders who aspire to succeed in their careers.

“In addition to his mentor work, David brings with him a massive amount of training and tactical knowledge which will support the work of the coaches, and he’s become a well-respected figure in cycling which will help us to open doors when it comes to fielding young talent into professional road teams."