Photo courtesy Ray Smith Photography
Cycling is a sport steeped in the tradition of style. There’s no denying it. From the days of miners and farmers escaping the hardships of a life spent toiling in harsh and filthy conditions either under or above ground, through Coppi and his Cosa Nostra-esque garb and swagger, Merckx and De Vlaeminck’s 70s sideburns, to Cipo and his many hits and misses both on and off the bike, there have always been riders who just look the part. I don’t hesitate to add David Millar’s name to that list as a modern day doyen of cycling style.
While we’re all wrapped up in farewells and handing out plaudits, let’s not forget that the curtain is about to be lowered on the long and storied, some may say sullied, career of this polarising British rider. Yes, we all know what he did. We have either accepted it and re-accepted him, or possibly still hold him in contempt. To me, he was always a classy Pro with a fluid riding style, a constant time trial threat, a worthy wearer of the Maillot Jaune and Maglia Rosa, a multiple stage winner in all three Grand Tours. Nothing more, nothing less. Not a fan, more an observer and moderate admirer.
Off the bike, however, Millar’s style is something I’m definitely a fan of. Maybe it’s because of his inherent Britishness that enables him to pull off the array of casual, smart, almost foppish looks which he does so well. Crisp collared shirts, tailored suits, pastel polos, smart shoes, just the right balance between ostentatious and sensible accessories. In the peloton, you could usually rely on him to be largely Rule compliant (and even if he wasn’t, he’d somehow manage to get a pass with ease). Being a tall and thin guy myself, his dress sense and attention to detail is not the worst template to work from. Especially as I’ll never pedal a bike as well as he did.
I think cycling has always had a tradition of being a bit dapper, especially back in the day. Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and that older generation were renowned for being suave and sophisticated gentlemen off the bike–that’s something I was enchanted by. They always looked so cool. Cycling is based so much on form, on aesthetics, on class–the way you carry yourself on the bike, the sort of technique you have.
David Millar via
Chapeau Mr Millar.
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@TBONE
I would have thought a Canadian would see the obvious parallel to Quebec.
People from Quebec are Canadians, but many will also identify themselves as Quebecois.
The Scottish Social Attitudes survey (a large-scale and ongoing survey) recently found a decline in the number of people identifying themselves as Scottish ahead of British.
Only 26% said they felt "more Scottish than British" which is the lowest number since the survey began in 1992. The largest group, 32%, said they felt "equally Scottish and British".
From a geo-political standpoint, they are undoubtedly British. Great Britain is both the island and also a political entity made up of England, Scotland and Wales.
The United Kingdom is Great Britain and Northern Ireland combined.
exciting to watch when he was doping, boring otherwise, except to Imperialists
@Barracuda
Yes! I hadn't noticed until Ray, the photographer, told me... brilliant.
Guys if you want to be really pedantic, the ancient Britons were the Celts who lived in Britain before the waves of various invaders(Angles, Saxons and Normans) pushed them to the Western and Northern extremes of the island(Wales, Cornwall, Scotland etc... though Scotland was Pictish as well I think).
Either way Britain is a geographical/cultural entity as well as political, like say Scandinavia. Great Britain is the main island. The sovereign state is the 'United Kingdom', which also includes Northern Island (not technically part of 'Great Britain' though many there would identify themselves as British and that's a whole other can of worms).
When I've met North Americans some confusion seems to come from equating British with English. That's why us Welsh and Scots get a bit tetchy, many will be proud to be British (independence or not) but calling one English is like calling a Texan a Californian. Probably worse. The different parts of the United Kingdom each have their own long history of kings, cultures, languages, rulers and various battles both alongside and against the other UK nations.
In team sports such as soccer and rugby these old nations are usually retained(and so are the old rivalries), but for the Olympics we compete as 'Team GB' (even though it's really 'Team UK' I guess but bear with me). No cyclist seems to have a problem riding for GB, in fact the opposite, even Cavendish who is from the Isle of Man... a crown dependency but not technically even part of the UK(perhaps the U.S Virgin islands are similar? no idea).
See, clear as mud and not at all confusing :-/ Sorry for the tangent...
@brett How about this for the Lexicon:
@american psycho
If you haven't taken the time to read his book, Racing Through The Dark, go buy a copy and read it this weekend. It's fascinating, and quite disheartening at times.
All of us have asked ourselves this question: were I in their shoes, would i have doped? This book is an object lesson the difficulty of that question. The pressures upon these guys were immense, and I can't in good conscience say that I wouldn't have done exactly as they did.
Millar's a badass for owning up, taking his lumps, and leading the way toward clean sport. And he has killer dress sense.
@Rhodri
I wouldn't agree that Scandinavia is a political entity in the same way as Britain/UK - given that Sweden, Norway and Denmark are all sovereign, independent nations.
However for the possible combination of the Schleswig-Holstein Question and the West Lothian Question in a single thread I applaud you.
If we could only work in the War of Jenkin's Ear this thread would be a general knowledge syllabus in its own right.
@dyalander I'm English and dislike being revered to as a 'brit'. Mainly because we're the best.
Death to the monarchy also.
@Harminator But would it be a new, independent thread or would it share some of the identity of the parent thread?
Oh, yeah, David Millar, son of an RAF pilot, expat and product of British private school system wears nice clothes. Congratulations, who would have guessed.