And the pressure is now on to see whether the Scot can live up to his billing as a future Grand Tour winner.

The Cofidis rider has made all the right noises this season, talking about improving his mountain climbing ability and putting less focus on his excellent time trialling.

However, his form over the toughest terrains in the Tour de France suggest that a top-five finish could elude him.

During Le Tour he impressed enough to take an impressive stage victory but question marks about his overall ability still remain.

The 25-year-old, though, has won the plaudits of a lot of former greats in the sport and has been compared by some to three-time Tour winner Greg Lemond.

He was plucked from obscurity at the age of 21 from the amateur ranks by the same man who discovered both Lemond and double Tour winner Laurent Fignon.

Millar was born in Malta and raised in Scotland, England and Hong Kong. He now lives in Biarritz, France.

And he insists he is in great shape after building up his training regime as he approached the peak years of his career.