The Tour was agony from beginning to end for Millar

It wasn't fun.

But the team had blind faith in me making it to the finish and winning a stage along the way, so I just kept dragging myself through.

The only problem being that faith can only get you a certain distance.

Especially in the Tour de France.

And faith does not get you over the Col de Madeleine, Col du Glandon, and L'Alpe d'Huez.

It got me over the Madeleine but I think it will leave me in therapy many years from now.

Positive thinking

In fact I am already waking up at random times looking for my brake levers in the fear of crashing.

Not good. Not good at all.

So that was my Tour 2001 - could have been better, but there's nothing to be done about it.

And now all I can do is get motivated, rest up and start training for the Tour of Spain.

There you shall see me firing on all cylinders once again.