Emotion gets the better of Millar

Britain’s David Millar admitted his emotions got the better of him as he battled in vain for a third stage victory in the Tour de France.

The Scot came up agonisingly short in yesterday’s thrilling Stage Six, an 181-kilometre jaunt from Girona to Barcelona that was eventually won by sprint specialist Thor Hushovd.

Millar, 32, was part of an early three-man breakaway group which had grown to four before he pulled clear 29km from the finish on a bold raid for home.

However, he was caught by a quick-finishing peloton around a kilometre from the line and he could only look on as Cervelo’s Hushovd powered past Spanish duo Oscar Freire and Jose Joaquin Rojas for the win.

“I hadn’t planned to attack but it was emotion which took over,” said Millar, who has a training base in Girona like many other riders.

“I rode more with my heart than with my head. We set off from my home, I knew all the roads.”