David Millar has confirmed to Cyclingnews that he will represent the Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA) as it works with the UCI to establish an Extreme Weather Protocol to protect riders and avoid making them compete in dangerous weather conditions.

“I’d said I’d never get involved in things like this because when I did stick my neck up as a rider, I got my head cut off. But they approached me and now I’m retired things are different. The sport is also changing and I do think I’ve got the experience of lots of different situations in the sport. I hope I can help make a difference. I love cycling and want to help it move forward,” Millar told Cyclingnews.

Riders have long been campaigning for the UCI to introduce a protocol for extreme weather, particularly after the last two snowy editions of the Giro, plus the recent stage of the Tour of Oman that was cancelled due to extreme heat causing tires to blow.

“We can’t set strict perimeters because cycling is often held in extreme weather, it’s also the nature of the sport. It’s about finding a way of not putting anyone health at risk,” Millar explained. “The problem is that currently in extreme weather conditions, nobody knows what is going on. So if we can have an Extreme Weather Protocol in place, we can allow decision to be made quickly and definitely.”

“We need to get the UCI, the race organisers and the AIGCP teams association all together and agree on a protocol together. We need to know who is in charge and who is responsible when extreme weather happens.” 

However, Millar warned that this will not be a quick process and that it will take time for all involved to come up with a protocol that will suit everyone and still keep the riders safety at heart as priority.

“It’s probably going to take a year to sort out but the sooner we start to trial things, the better for everyone,” Millar said. “At the moment I think it’s very much a blank slate, so I want to canvas people’s opinions and gather ideas before sitting down with the UCI. In the long term I think it’s good to do things that build relationships between the different parties in the sport. Anything we do together can only be good for the sport.”