Move To France and Further Amateur Success
He moved to France in 1979 to join the ACBB (Athletic Club Boulogne-Billancourt), one of Europe's top amateur teams. Millar was as ever focused and quickly began winning races such the Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers. This success brought him the admiration of his ACBB manager Claude Escalon. However his single minded persona was also not going unnoticed. Whilst living in his Paris flat a young British rider by the name of Mark Bell arrived, a little lost, finds a bed and tried to find his feet. Lying in his room, staring at the ceiling, he heard a noise in the kitchen and went to investigate. He found Millar, who said next to nothing to him, made his dinner as Bell looked on, took it back to his room and shut the door behind him. Thus it is little wonder Jamie McGahan, a fellow Glaswegian who raced with Millar described him as being a great rider but never a very warm character.
In 1980, after retaining his British road title, taking fourth place in the world amateur road championship, claiming five wins in France and winning the French 'Best Amateur' Trophy, he turned professional for the Peugeot cycling team, and as a climbing specialist focused on single-day road races and stage races in hilly or mountainous terrain.
While other British riders often found living away from home a problem, Millar was happy to travel abroad, and wasn't homesick. He married a French woman, and lived with her in France.
Read more about this topic: Robert Millar, 1979 To 80
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