David Miller has been made the captain of the British team at the World Road Race Championships in Ponferrada, Spain which is set to commence this weekend. He’ll be appearing in a GB jersey and will be leading a team of nine.
Miller became a professional cyclist in 1997, but on account of doping he was banned from participating for the whole of 2005 season. Miller won stages in the races of 2000, 2002 and 2003 he also won stage in 2012 Tour de France, making it his fourth time achievement of the same. The accolades he won as a cyclist have often been overshadowed by his drug riddled past, after confessing that he had doped to the French police in 2004, on the eve of Tour de France, he was stripped of his title and banned for two years. These incidents were commonplace in the cycling world but what he did after that is what sets him apart, he returned to cycling and campaigned against doping and never shied away from speaking on this matter ever since. Together with Jonathan Vaughters, ex teammate of Lance Armstrong, he went on to create a team where everyone would strictly follow ethical principles.
It is a 254.8 km race having 14 laps of an 18.2km circuit, a sprinter who can limb like Team Sky’s Ben Swift is probably best suited for this race.
Sir Dave Brailsford, the Yates twins Simon and Adam, Geraint Thomas, commonwealth games champion, British Champion Pete Kennaugh, Chris Froome winner of the second place at Vuelta a Espana, are a few names that can be counted on.
Lizzie Armistead is leading the women’s team of six. Controversy arose when British cycling decided not to let a woman compete in the time trial arguing that no one, after Emma Pooley’s retirement was capable of securing a medal, Emma Pooley herself was scornful at the statement.
Sir Brailsford was called back by the technical director of the British team Shane Sutton to manage the British Cycling Team, it was barely five months since Brailsford quit to devote more time for Team Sky.
Sutton is confident of the team’s potential of bringing home a medal.
