Scot dismisses media reports of move
Scottish rider David Millar has rejected media reports today that he is moving to the new GreenEdge team, saying that the story is not founded on fact and that he doesn’t know yet where he will race in 2012.
The Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad stated today that he, Sebastian Langeveld (currently Rabobank) and Matt Goss (HTC Highroad) would compete with the new Australian squad next season.
Former Garmin-Cervélo directeur Matt White is expected to have a key role with GreenEdge, and is a friend of his. This is a potential reason for the speculation, but Millar said that the reports were wrong. “Strange one, that,” he told VeloNation this evening. “I’m in zero negotiations with any team, not even my own for the moment! So [it’s] a totally random story.”
The 2011 Giro d’Italia stage winner and race leader said that he hopes to have a new contract sorted out before the start of the Tour de France. This gives him three weeks to work out where he will be going.
One confusing aspect about the story is the fact that Millar is a part-owner of the Garmin-Cervélo team. That doesn’t prevent him from riding elsewhere, but it would effectively mean he would be competing against a team he has interests in.
He has been part of the American squad since 2008, and said that his preference is to stay where he is.
“My team is priority. In the unlikely event we find ourselves not coming to an agreement then I would obviously speak to other teams. But hopefully that won’t happen…”
Millar is 34 years of age and is one of the strongest time trialists in the sport. He is expected to be part of Garmin-Cervélo’s team in the Tour de France, and to contest the world time trial championships. He was second in last year’s race behind Fabian Cancellara.