David Millar puts pedal to the medal as attacking tactics seal bronze

DAVID Millar became the first Scot ever to win a Commonwealth Games medal in a road cycling event by claiming bronze at the end of an epic road race yesterday. Despite the surreal backdrop of deserted Delhi streets, with spectators denied access to the course, and an atmosphere that was more akin to the moon than a major road race, an extraordinary race unfolded in the 41-degree heat.

It was Millar who lit the touchpaper as the race entered the final stages, attacking with around 50km to go, and dragging clear some of the top names, including Mark Cavendish and the Australian Allan Davis, fresh from his third place in last Sunday's world road race championship.

Fearing a sprint against Cavendish or Davis, Millar attacked again, and again, and again, launching his last effort inside the final 3km, just as Davis bridged up to a lead group that had been whittled down to four, mainly as a result of Millar's aggression. By then, Cavendish had gone, left behind in the chasing group, and finished only seventh.

Millar's bid to win alone came to nothing as Chris Sutton - Davis's Australian teammate - led the group back up to the Scot, who at 33 was making his debut appearance in Scotland colours. At the finish, Davis won the sprint, with New Zealand's Hayden Roulston claiming silver and Millar bronze.

Millar's Games selection was controversial, given his two-year ban for doping from 2004-6, though he has since reinvented himself as an anti-doping campaigner.

One of the conditions of his selection was that he provide a positive example to young Scottish athletes, some of whom rode in support of him here. For their efforts, Millar was full of praise.

"I'm very proud," he said afterwards. "I came here for (Wednesday's] time trial, but the way I raced today, I raced with a lot of heart, I went deep, and I'd like to say 'thank you' to Scotland for having me in the team.

"I attacked so many times towards the end," he continued. "I knew I'd get beaten in a sprint, because I'm not a sprinter, so I just kept trying to whittle down the group and get away on my own. I'm happy with a bronze medal. I came here to get gold in time trial so I'm happy with that. I haven't ridden with such heart and passion for a long time.

"I really enjoyed racing with this jersey and with the team," Millar added. "Three of the boys were looking after me in the first half of the race, and it was Evan (Oliphant] and Andy (Fenn]'s job to follow the attacks when they started coming in the second half.

"They excelled; they were as good as my pro team. They were all very motivated and I think motivation has a big effect.I wouldn't have got the medal without them and I'm proud of them all."

Millar revealed that he had an agreement with Cavendish, the winner of 15 Tour de France stages in the last three years, that he would help him if it came down to a sprint, if Cavendish agreed not to chase him if he attacked. It was a way, said Millar, of countering the strong Australian team.

"It was unspoken, but we had a pact of non-aggression," said Millar. "I was going to look after him as much as I could because the bottom line was that I would rather him win than anyone else, if I couldn't win. We were both isolated in the final stages, whereas the Aussies had a couple of guys up there. If I was going to go (attack], he wasn't going to chase me, and then if it came down to a sprint at the end, then I would have tried to help him. But he didn't have the legs in the end."

Cavendish was full of praise for Millar, tipping him for gold in Wednesday's time trial.

"He was incredibly strong. He'll win two medals, because I'm positive he'll win on Wednesday. He did a great ride and he helped me out a little bit at the end, and I'm sorry I didn't have the legs to stay there."

Millar's third place beats the previous Scottish best in the road race, Andy Young's sixth in Auckland in 1990.