David Millar had a huge smile on his face as he celebrated Slipstream?s team time victory and Christian Vande Velde?s pink jersey on the podium. The Scot has always been a key part of the Slipstream team and rightly enjoyed the team?s first major success.
?It?s mission accomplished. We worked really hard for this. Today was nothing about luck, it was all about judgement,? Millar told Cycling Weekly.
?We?ve been working really hard this past week and we?ve been learning really quickly. We finally started gelling yesterday.?
?We rode it perfectly, there?s nothing to say, we earned that victory through hard work and through details. We?ve done everything, all the equipment has been perfect, we warmed up with ice-vests, we didn?t miss one detail.?
Millar finished a few seconds behind his team mate, after doing some huge turns in the final part of the team time trial, but was proud that Vande Velde was first over the line and so the first American to pull on the pink jersey since Andy Hampsten won the Giro in 1988.
?Christian was amazing. He earned us six seconds on his own in those last five kilometres; he was so strong I could hardly hold his wheel. We?d talked a bit about who should cross the line first but in all our minds, he deserved it more than anyone,? Millar said.
?We built the team with the potential to be a great team time trial squad. Jonathan (Vaughters) puts in a lot of the details and then Whitey (directeur sportif Matt White) has jelled it all together. He?s the missing link and gave us a team talk we?ve all never had before.?
?The team is forming. In another year we?re going to have a dream team.?
GIRO D'ITALIA 2008: STAGE REPORTS
Stage two: Ricco wins Giro d'Italia second stage
Stage one TTT: Slipstream wins Giro team time trial
GIRO D'ITALIA 2008: NEWS
Millar celebrates Slipstream Giro d'Italia success
Bettini looking for final Giro glory
Astana's troubled build-up to the Giro
Petacchi banned for Salbutamol positive
Yates and Astana make last minute rush to Giro
GIRO D'ITALIA 2008: PHOTOS
Giro d'Italia 2008: Photo gallery. New photos added daily
GIRO D'ITALIA 2008: FEATURES
Giro Britannia: how the Brits are doing in Italy
Giro d'Italia 2008 preview
Giro d'Italia 2008: who will win?
Giro d'Italia 2008: The British are coming
Giro d'Italia on Eurosport: TV schedule
Meet the long-haul trucker who’s clocked 600+ hours on his bike this year
5 bike maintenance essentials, and how to better pay attention to your bicycle’s needs
