In Search of Robert Millar: Unravelling the Mystery Surrounding Britain’s Most Successful Tour de France Cyclist by Moore Richard

Author:Moore, Richard [Moore, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2008-09-03T16:00:00+00:00

9

He Loves Being a Star

I like it around here. It’s so ugly it makes the rest of the world look really beautiful.

In June, on the eve of the Tour de France, Millar moved back to Troyes from Lille, and in mid-December he married his girlfriend, Sylvie Transler, in a modest civic ceremony in Troyes Town Hall. No one from Millar’s family was in attendance, nor were any of his team-mates. Jack Andre was a witness, Sylvie’s parents were there, and also present was Peter Carr, still working on his documentary.

Neil Storey had observed Millar’s relationship with Sylvie from close quarters when they travelled to the Isle of Man for the British championship a couple of weeks after the Vuelta defeat, and some six months before they were married. In those days it was unusual for girlfriends or wives to travel to races, but Sylvie was with Millar on the Isle of Man where, according to Storey, ‘it pissed with rain the whole time’. Millar, he adds, ‘hated being there: he was made to ride that race. But he was with his young lady and they walked around holding hands, going shopping all the time. He was being trailed by Pete [Carr] and his crew and he knew he had to give time to the film.’ As for Sylvie, she was, according to Storey, ‘very quiet, very shy, and she spoke absolutely no English. Any communication was via Robert. But she was there or thereabouts the whole time. They were very affectionate towards each other. She seemed like a very sweet, very ordinary provincial French girl. He seemed to be head over heels in love with her.’

The wedding, says Carr, was a curious affair. This confirms appearances, since the ceremony does feature in The High Life, and it does look unconventional, to say the least. Millar is dressed in what appear to be white robes and he is standing frozen nervously to the spot. So is Sylvie, who is pretty but mousy and shy-looking, her dark-brown bobbed hair framing as well as partially hiding her face. Both spend much of the time staring at the ground. Carr recalls that when the ceremony finished Millar suggested they all go to a neighbouring bar for a drink. ‘So I said, “Let me buy you all a drink, Robert,” and he said, “No, I’ll buy – it’s my wedding, eh.” I had a glass of wine; her parents, who were peasantfolk as far as I could tell, also had a glass of wine. And then, after about fifteen minutes, Robert stood up and said, “I’d better be going now.” And Sylvie got up and followed him out.’

Carr then witnessed a disagreement between the newlyweds. They were due to move to Wielsbeke in Belgium the day after the wedding, but there was a problem. Sylvie was determined to take her pet cat, but Millar was reluctant to pay to have the animal immunized, which was compulsory if it was to enter Belgium. Carr thinks the cost was in the region of seventy francs.

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