In Search of Robert Millar: Unravelling the Mystery Surrounding Britain's Most Successful Tour De France Cyclist [Paperback]

The riddle being, the whereabouts of Robert Millar, the finest grand tour cyclist ever to come from Britain. The enigma being the contrast of Robert Millar's personas - the same man that performed so spectacularly and explosively in the arena of the high mountain passes in the biggest bike races in the world was also the man who gave monosyllabic answers to journalistic queries. In a way Robert Millar refused to provide his fans with any gratifying, instant emotional fix. Something that sits poorly with the modern confessional culture. The questions are simple enough, but Richard Moore's book `In Search of Robert Millar' takes us on a fascinating journey.

Richard Moore is a journalist, a breed that was traditionally afforded very little sympathy from the man that is Robert Millar. This is the perceived wisdom, but Moore digs deeper than that. There's no doubt that Robert Millar was a complex man and not easy to know, but when he spoke it was always something worth listening to. He never provided the usual `lazy' race analysis. He was always more pithy and constructively critical. Perhaps this is why he wrote so well once he stopped riding a bike for a living and maybe this is also why he never really made the opportunity to impart his undoubted wisdom to the British domestic racing scene.

Moore's book does a fine job of exploring the seeming contradictions of the lives of Robert Millar. He's a self professed fan of Millar the man and Millar the athlete, but this doesn't get in the way of his task, indeed it makes him research and write all the harder. I've read quite a lot of Richard Moores' journalism and the book is certainly journalistic, as well as covering ground that is familiar to any cycle fan, he gives me the feeling that I am being written to directly about my `heroes'. For me, this is good sports journalism. More than this, good journalism is story telling and Moore also paints the bigger picture, giving the reader a context for events. In this respect I was reminded of the writing of Maynard Hershon, of the (late lamented) Winning magazine fame. Yes, Richard Moore's book is that good. Along with many others, I have a fascination with Robert Millar and Moore explores the rumours and innuendo around the man. The book has sent me off on my own trip down memory lane, truly lovely stuff.

Even if you don't have such an appetite for attempting to solve riddles, this is a cracking good read. There is a lot of raw emotion, with interesting and valid parallels being drawn with those of similar mercurial climbing tragic talent: Pantani, Jiminez and Claveyrolat. There is also a lot of sometimes surprising character references from Robert Millar's old teammates, friends and managers. Robert Millar, for reasons that become clear when reading the book, had nothing to do with the writing of the book. A fact that make this volume all the more valid as far as I'm concerned. You are left to draw your own conclusions. This is one of the reasons why I found this to be more satisfying than Chris Sidwells' A Peiper's Tale', which, although an excellent read about another ex pro cyclist having wrestled and resolved many of his demons, is somehow too conclusive and not as imaginative or inspiring. An email correspondence with Robert Millar in the end of the book is really quite touching and leaves the intrigue open.

This book was well overdue in my opinion. On the internet, in chat rooms, out on a club run, you could take part in the `Robert Millar debate' with all the curiosity and frustrations that this would entail. The debate that would flare up, die down and reignite at some later date. It's all here - the rumours, the nonsense and the passion. Yes, for all that was perceived about Millar he is a man of passion. An over used phrase certainly, and one that might not sit well with such a phlegmatic Scot, but in the opinion of this reviewer, it is appropriate. You won't `know' Robert Millar by the end of the book, but you will understand a lot more about him, about the sport of cycling and what makes some of the athletes tick. This truly is the book that we've all been looking for. Perversely there's a part of me that would find it pretty disappointing if he now turned up in the Eurosport studios. Buy the book and read it, you will not be disappointed.

John-Paul Shirreffs

Richard Moore's In search of Robert Millar finally provides the myriad of Cycling fans with something that they never thought they would see; a whole book dedicated to Britain's greatest and most successful cyclist. Millar himself stated once that he had no intention of writing such a work so many assumed it would never be available; thankfully Moore does not disappoint.

He takes us through the chronology of Millar's career from his birth and life in Glasgow, to national and international cycling sensation, through to his retirement and his subsequent and complete exit from public scrutiny to being a private person with a right to lead a life free from any sort of interference, whether it be from prying journalists, the cycling world at large or his many thousands of supporters and fans who recognised in Millar an impossible dream come true, mostly an awe and simply people who would have (and indeed do) refer to him as a (their) hero.

In his introduction the author states that one of his aims is to discover Millar the person rather than just Millar the cyclist. In part he succeeds. His interviews with many of the cyclist's peers and friends give further insight into what made him a great, generous and `special' cyclist. He also reveals the more public taciturn, monosyllabic Millar as so often reported by outsiders and or certain journalists. Perhaps Moore labours too extensively on this area. Millar, as is described, had his own way of doing things and part of that was letting his legs do the talking by winning races, or coming close, and letting the public enjoy the sport of cycle racing; he was the one after all who was doing the suffering, in part for money and winning, and in part to allow the lovers of the sport to witness real spectacle. This area, it has to be said, is not unaddressed, and Millar's life and travails are covered in probably just the right amount of depth and detail. In this day of celebrity "this and that" it is refreshing to read again about the exploits and successes of a man for whom celebrity was an unfortunate price that came along with being an exceptionally gifted an successful athlete who managed to have a career in the sport that lasted 15 great years at the highest level. Lets us applaud Robert Millar one final time when we have finished our time down memory lane (in the reading of this book) for his talent, the enjoyment he gave the watching spectators of probably the world's most demanding sport and for his honesty in the "adversity of celebrity".

One final note. Moore mentioned Lucien Van Impe as being Dutch on more than one occasion. I have every reason to believe that he was Belgian. I hope that was the only slight error (possibly editorial) in a "most recommendable" work. Bravo.

This book should carry a warning because once you start reading you can`t put it down and the rest of your life goes on hold!! I`m of the generation where Robert Millar was a good bike rider it wasn`t until reading this book that i realised he was a great bike rider. Imagine if a Brit was placing on the podium in major tours these days then we as cyclists would be beside ourselves. But Millar did it in the 80`s and did it in his own style. The author has spoken to most people who had anything to do with Millar and everyone has given there opinion love him or hate him this comes out in the book, Richard Moore has captured the emotion and the passion and added his own personal anecdotes that makes this book even more readable. It details Millars career in detail and updates us with his unsucessful foray into cycle coaching and subsequent withdrawal from the cycling scene to his almost total reclusiveness but adds intrigue with correspondance from the man himself. Moore should perhaps consider a career as a mystery thriller writer the way he has unravelled this amazing story. And this book should be a serious contender for the Sportswriter of the year, much better than the Pantani book and no technical jargon to put the reader off. In my opinion the best cycling book ever written and i`m already looking forward to future Richard Moore publications. Buy it you won`t regret it.