The 37-year-old will be seeking a successful defence of the individual time trial title he won at Delhi 2010, before also competing in the road race taking place before the Closing Ceremony on Sunday (August 3), an event in which he finished third in Delhi.

In a candid and wide-ranging discussion this morning, Millar spoke about his preparations for these Games, as well as his opinion on the progress the sport has made in tackling the doping culture which so affected him personally, as well as many other cyclists.

But it was the opportunity to ride in a Scottish jersey which is exciting him the most, particularly because the home Games comes in what he has already announced will be his final season as a professional cyclist.

"My preparation has gone better than I thought it was going to go," he said.

"I was very disappointed not to be selected [for his Garmin Sharp team at the Tour de France] but after four days I went home and switched myself back into training mode for the Commonwealth Games.

"In the time trial, I wouldn't say I am confident I can win, but I'm confident I'm going well and hopefully it won't be an embarrassment, and the road race is going well and I am looking forward to that.

"This is only the second time in my life I have worn a Scottish jersey and it means a lot.

"It probably ranks as among the biggest events of my life, particularly where it is at the end of my career.

"This is more important than racing for a corporate team, pulling on a Scotland jersey, that is who I am."

David Millar sees a repeat of the time trial gold medal he won at Delhi 2010 as unlikely, but remains confident with his preparations ©Getty Images



Millar won three individual stages of the Tour de France in the early 2000s as well as the time trial title at the 2003 Road World Championships, only to be banned for two years and stripped of this title after admitting to using EPO after a police investigation was launched in France in early 2004.

Since returning to the sport in 2007, the Scot, the son of an RAF pilot who was born in Malta and grew up in Hong Kong, has been among the staunchest anti-doping voices and a key figure in the crusade to clean up the sport.

Speaking today, he warned against drawing a line on the sport's past, but insisted "amazing" improvement has taken place.

"I think maybe that was a mistake everyone made a few years ago, saying we're going from black to white, and in hindsight perhaps it was a bit naive," he said.

"Cycling is a complex sport with a complex history, we have to accept and live with what happened and understand it and reconcile that.

"We can't point fingers and say, 'he was really bad, he was a little bid bad', because the bottom line is that was the sport and culture back then.

"We've amazingly turned the culture round in a short period of time - now we have riders who can win the Grand Tours clean, and riders who are never going to see a syringe unless they are in hospital.

"I think now the sport has fundamentally changed."

Lance Armstrong's admission to doping in 2012 has symbolised these changes in the sport ©Getty Images



In response to a question over whether he had received any criticism from his Scottish team mates because of his doping past, Millar insisted he "has always been welcomed massively in the Village" and in Scotland.

"During my ban, I spent a lot of time in Scotland and everyone here supported me," he added.

"I feel the Scots were most forgiving and understanding of me when the chips were down."

But although this is his final season in the sport, he added he hopes Sunday will not be his final race, because he hopes to compete in the final Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a España, beginning in Jerez de la Frontera on August 23.

"This is another race I have always felt is close to my heart," Millar said.

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