|
 If
success in cyclings three major tour's alone (The Giro, Vuelta &
TdF) was the only measure, one Scottish cyclist stands out from
the rest.
Born in Glasgow in 1958, ex-Glasgow
Wheelers club cyclist Robert Millar was, and remains the most
successful professional rider ever to come out of Scotland and the
UK.
Relatively few "British" riders ever make the transition from amateur
club cyclist to professional. Many who get there, seeming to do
little to prove that we are not a nation of "testers". Time trials
are one thing, but if you can't climb and can't last the pace in
a three week tour, what chance against the finest in Europe.
Little
help and support was available for any prospective rider (and arguably
it's still not) and entry into the ranks and country's of the European
pro's can be fraught with disappointment, and required more than
just pure cycling ability and determination alone.
After leaving Scotland, Robert rode in 1979 for the French club
'Athletic Club Boulogne-Billancourt (ACBB), and within the first
year, had lifted five race wins and the French 'Best Amateur' Trophy.
Clearly he had enough talent, to attract the Peugeot team, who gave
him a place and the chance to turn professional the following year.
He stayed with Peugeot until 1986, when he moved to Panasonic, from
there to the Fagor team in 88 for a year, then to Z-Peugeot, and
finally to 'Le Groupement' from where he retired in 1995.
During his 16 years as a Professional he racked up an impressive
number of race wins. He was particularly successful on the major
tours, and remains the only 'Brit' to hold the King of the Mountains
title and jersey.
PALMARES
(Incomplete ! )
|
1975 |
GLENMARNOCK
WHEELERS |
Amateur |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1976 |
GLASGOW
WHEELERS [ GB ] |
Amateur |
|
Scottish
National Road Race Champion (Junior )
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1977 |
GLASGOW
WHEELERS [ GB ] |
Amateur |
|
|
Scottish
National Hillclimb Champion |
|
| |
|
|
|
1978 |
MANCHESTER
WHEELERS ? [ GB ] |
Amateur |
|
|
Milk
Race - 21st
British Amateur Road Race Champion
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1979 |
ATHLETIC
CLUB BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (ACBB) FRANCE |
Amateur |
|
|
World
Amateur Road Race Championship - 4th
GP de Grasse - 1st
Paris-Evreux - 1st
GP de Boucherie - 1st
GP du Picon - 1st
Route de France - 1st
Grand Prix de Nations - 5th
Rheinlandpfalz Rundfahrt - 12th
British Amateur Road Race Champion
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1980 |
PEUGEOT-ESSO-MICHELIN
[ FR ] |
Professional
(First Year) |
|
Tour
of Vaucluse - 3rd
Tour de Romandie - 8th (may)
Criterium National - 12th (3rd on the Mountain stage)
Midi Libre - 14th
World Professional Road Race Championships, France - 11th
(Aug)
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1981 |
PEUGEOT-ESSO-MICHELIN
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
|
Tour
de l'Aude - 5th
GP Gippingen - 5th
Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré - 7th
Tour of Romandie - 7th
World Road Race Championship - 14th
Tour de l'Avenir - 11th
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1982 |
PEUGEOT-SHELL-MICHELIN
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
Tour
de l'Avenir - 2nd
Tour of Romandie - 7th
Circuit de la Sarthe - 6th
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1983 |
PEUGEOT-SHELL-MICHELIN
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
|
Criterium
du Dauphiné Libéré - 2nd
World Road Race Championship - 37th
Tour de France - 14th in GC & Stage win - 10, Pau-Bagneres
de Luchon
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1984 |
PEUGEOT-SHELL-MICHELIN
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
|
Nice-Alassio - 2nd
Tour of Haut Var - 2nd
GP Midi Libre - 4th + 1 stage
Paris-Nice - 6th (ex Race Leader)
World Road Race Championship - 6th
Tour of Catalunya - 7th
Nice Alassio - 2nd
Tour de Romandie - 5th in GC, Mts Jrsy & Stage win 2,
Vevey-Crans Montana (May)
Tour de France - 4th in GC, KoM, & Stage Win 11, Pau-Guzet-Neige
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1985 |
PEUGEOT-SHELL-MICHELIN
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
|
Tour
of Catalunya - 1st
Tour of Piedmont - 3rd
GP Wallonia - 4th
Paris-Nice - 6th
Criterium National - 6th
Tour Midi-Pyrenees - 6th
Tour of Haut-Var - 7th
Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré - 9th
World Road Race Championship - 10th
Vuelta a España - 2nd in GC (Apr)
Tour de France - 11th in GC
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1986 |
PANASONIC-MERCKX
[ NL ] |
Professional |
|
Tour
of Aragon - 6th
Montjuich Hill Climb - 7th
GP d'Isbergues - 10th
Vuelta a Espagna - 2nd in GC & Stage Win, 6 Santander-Lagos
de Covadonga (Apr)
Tour de Suisse - 2nd in GC (Jun)
Tour de France - Not Ranked |
|
| |
|
|
| 1987 |
PANASONIC
[ NL ] |
Professional |
|
|
Giro
d'Italia - 2nd + 1 stage, 1st, King of the Mountains
Liege-Bastogne-Liege - 5th
Tour of the Mediterrean - 6th + 1 stage (Stahe 2)
Setmana Catalana - 7th
Tour de Romandie - 4th in GC (May)
Tour de France - 19th in GC |
|
| |
|
|
|
1988 |
FAGOR
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
Bicicleta
Vasca - 2nd
Liege-Bastogne-Liege - 3rd
Criterium National - 3rd
Route du Sud - 3rd
Vuelta a España - 6th
Tour of Catalunya - 8th
Paris-Nice - 9th
Tour of Britain - 1st
Tour de France - Not Ranked |
|
| |
|
|
|
1989 |
Z-PEUGEOT
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
Tour
of Britain - 1st
Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré - 2nd +
1 stage
GP Wallonia - 2nd
GP Besseges - 7th
Paris-Camembert - 8th
GP Cannes - 8th
Tour of Vaucluse - 8th
GP of the Americas - 9th
World Road Race Championship - 30th
British Road Race Championship - 6th
Tour de Romandie - 3rd in GC & Stage win, 4 Bains de Saillon-Les
Diablerets (May)
Tour de France - 10th in GC & Stage win 10, Cauterets
- Superbagnères
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1990 |
Z-PEUGEOT
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
|
Criterium
du Dauphiné Libéré - 1st
Tour Of Britain - 2nd
GP Ouest France - 4th
Tour of Andalucia - 4th
Giro di Lombardia - 4th
Fleche Wallonne - 9th
Tour de Romandie - 2nd GC, Mts, & Stage win 4 Bulle-Nendaz,
(May)
Tour de Suisse - 2nd in GC (Jun)
Tour de France - Not Ranked
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1991 |
Z-PEUGEOT
[ FR ] |
Professional |
|
|
Criterium
du Dauphiné Libéré - 4th
Tour of Britain - 4th
Montreal Grand Prix - 5th
Sicilian Week 10th
Tour de Romandie - 2nd GC (May)
Tour de Suisse 5th in GC & Stage Win 5 Bürglen-Klausenpass
(Jun)
Tour de France - 72nd in GC
Classique des Alpes - 2nd
World Professional Road Race Championships, Stuttgart, Germany
(Aug 29) 48th
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1992 |
TVM
[ NL ] |
Professional |
|
Giro
di Lazio - 6th
Tour of Piedmont - 7th
Liege-Bastogne-Liege - 9th
Tour of Britain - 9th
Setmana Catalana - 9th
Vuelta a España - 20th
Conegliano 2nd
Midi Libre - 15th
18th Paris-Nice
?? Amstel Gold
Milan-SanRemo - 126th,
Tour de France - 18th in GC
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1993 |
TVM
[ NL ] |
Professional |
|
|
Valles
Mineros (Tour of the Mining Valleys) - 2nd
GP Midi Libre - 6th
Tour of Asturias - 7th
Classique des Alpes - 9th
Vuelta a España - 15th
5th, National Road Race
Vuelta al pais Vasco - 14th
San Sebastian - 22nd
Tour of Lombardy 24th
Liege-Bastogne-Liege 28th
Paris-Nice - 39th
Amstel Gold - 75th
Tour de France - 24th in GC
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1994 |
TVM
[ NL ] |
Professional |
|
|
Trophée
des Grimpeurs (Climbers Trophy) - 4th
Coppa Placci - 6th
Coppa Sabatini - 7th
Tour of Galicia - 9th
|
|
| |
|
|
|
1995 |
LE
GROUPEMENT [ FR ] |
Professional
(Final Year) |
| |
Classique des Alpes - 9th
British Road Race Championship - 1st (21 Jun)
|
|
| |
|
|
|
