Cycling: Millar storms to time-trial silver behind Cancellara

(GETTY IMAGES)

David Millar claimed time-trial silver at cycling's World Championships in Melbourne yesterday, seven years after a title win he later admitted was achieved with the use of the banned blood booster EPO.

Millar, who has become a powerful anti-doping advocate since he was stripped of the 2003 world time-trial gold medal, was the best of the rest behind Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland.

"I had a bit of an average Tour de France but it's ended up paying off for this because I was extra motivated for here and I felt good on the course, it's just a great feeling," Millar said.

The 33-year-old, who will compete for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, then turned his attention to Sunday's road race, when he could be picked for the three-man team hoping to put Mark Cavendish over the line first. "We're all for Mark and we believe infinitely in him and when he puts something in his head, it normally pays off, so we'll see what happens," said Millar. "It's all business until Sunday night, so we're all on now for the road race, I'm going to be fit enough and strong enough to help Mark as much as I can."