I'm not inclined to run canned quotes too often and I don't think David Millar is unlike a lot of other cyclists, who along with Millar are the toughest people on Earth. But, well, his quotes being shopped around to media contacts today tell a little of the story of cycling. W/o further embellishment:
Today represents a brand new entry into my top five worst-ever days on a bike. I spent 180 kilometers by myself convinced I was going to abandon or be eliminated.
I crashed three times on Stage Two, and the third time I flipped over the handlebars and knew I’d really hurt myself. Ever since I’ve been battling injuries from that crash, plus a fever and stomach bug, and just basically hanging on for dear life.
I started today motivated, but knew immediately something wasn’t right. My left side where I’d crashed just locked up and then my back started having spasms.
I spent about three hours packing in my head. At 100 kilometers to go I was 30 minutes down on the leaders. All I could see in my head were the contours of the stage from the maps. I broke it up into 5-kilometer climbs and kept thinking – I have to get through this. The fans on the side of the road were brilliant, they were cheering and telling me not to give up, and that made a huge difference for me.
By the time I got to the finish, I didn’t know if I’d made the time cut – all I knew was that I’d finished. And at the Tour, it’s about finishing. This is not a race you want to leave, or one you’ll give up on without turning yourself inside out. Onward.
Packing in my head. God, what a perfect way to describe the lonely misery. I hope he finishes, if it's not unhealthy for him to do so.