Millar “not concentrating on overall” in Dauphine Libere

• Friday, 12 June 2009
• Alasdair Fotheringham
• 2 Comments

David Millar Dauphine Libere 2009 stage 5

• Print
• Comment
• Mail

Currently fourth overall in the Dauphine Libere, David Millar has not turned in such a strong performance in a week-long stage race for years. But the British Garmin-Slipstream pro says that he has no special objectives in the Dauphine Libere.

"I rode within myself at the Giro [where Millar abandoned mid-race] because I knew I couldn't do anything there, so I just did damage limitation," Millar told Cycling Weekly at the start of stage six in Gap.

"Then I took it really easy because I was confident enough [of my form] not to train much and really recover between the Giro and here, and I think it's worked out well."

Millar said he regretted coming so close on stage two, where he was caught almost on the line by the sprinters' teams.

"Nothing like a bit of a show, is there?" he reflected, "people don't do those sorts of late attacks often enough.

"I'm just trying everywhere, giving it all a bit of a nudge, having fun really.

"But I'm not really thinking about GC, I just want to smash myself between here and Sunday, keep going everywhere even if I do get dropped. That way it'll raise my game before the Tour.

"But I'm not even using a heart rate monitor anymore. The aim is to race on instinct and come to the races fresh. Go back to how I used to do it all." So far, it's working well.

Millar broke his collarbone during Paris-Nice in March, and was forced to take a month off racing.