Robert Millar - 1986 and Vuelta Runner Up Again

1986 and Vuelta Runner Up Again

Millar changed teams in 1986 to ride for Panasonic. Despite his previous comment after the '85 race, Millar again rode in the Vuelta a España. Millar won stage six from Santander to Lagos de Covadonga putting him into the leader's jersey. On stage 11 however, a 29 km time trial at Valladolid, Alvaro Pino took over the lead and retained this to the finish with Millar finishing second overall like he had the year before. The winning margin was one minute and six seconds.

In the Tour de France Millar was racing well even before the race reached the mountains with a third in the team time trial and ninth in the individual time trial on stage nine. Millar was placed 10th at this point. This improved further in the Pyreness on stage 13 from Pau crossing the Tourmalet, the Aspin, the Peyresourde and finishing at Superbagneres. Millar finished second on the day to eventual winner of the race, Greg Lemond. This placed Millar in fourth overall at this point and in the lead in the mountains competition. He retained this to the end of stage 17 between Gap and Serre Chevalier. However Millar was battling illness and began to spiral down the placings in a struggle just to stay in the race. In the stage 20 time trial, in contrast to the ninth place in the earlier time trial, Millar placed 112th over 10 minutes behind the stage winner (Hinault). Millar started stage 21 in fifteenth overall but climbed off his bike to abandon the race on the conical final climb of the day up the Puy de Dôme.

Millar finished second overall in the Tour de Suisse behind Andy Hampsten. Millar was sixth in the Vuelta a Aragón behind swiss Stephen Joho in the first year a non Spaniard won the race. In Barcelona Millar placed seventh in the Escalada a Montjuïc behind Vicente Belda.