Following on from the announcement that the men’s endurance academy programme has now relocated to Italy, British Cycling today confirmed that David Millar has been working with the team on a voluntary basis in a mentor role.

Former professional cyclist Millar bolsters the support staff at the European training base in Montichiari and is available to offer advice to the young riders based on his experiences in the pro peloton.

Shane Sutton, technical director for the Great Britain Cycling Team said: “Nurturing an anti-doping culture is at the heart of everything we do at British Cycling and educating our young riders on the subject is a responsibility we take seriously.

“Having someone of David’s calibre on board to support us in this education process is invaluable; he is readily available to share his well-rounded experiences as a professional cyclist to the young riders who aspire to succeed in their careers.

“In addition to his mentor work, David brings with him a massive amount of training and tactical knowledge which will support the work of the coaches, and he’s become a well-respected figure in cycling which will help us to open doors when it comes to fielding young talent into professional road teams.

“David will work with the squad on a voluntary basis until the end of the month with a view to subsequently joining the team in a more official capacity.”

Millar was banned from cycling in 2004 for anti-doping violations, but on his return he became widely seen as one of the sport’s leading anti-doping campaigners.

He has worn the leader’s jersey and taken stage victories at all three of the Grand Tours and he was crowned as the 2010 Commonwealth time-trial champion, winning silver for Great Britain at the UCI Time Trial World Championships the same year.

He captained Mark Cavendish’s world championship victory in 2011 and he represented Great Britain in the London Olympic Games 2012 before retiring in 2014.

From 2008 – 2014, he rode for and part owned Garmin Slipstream which was synonymous with its firm anti-doping stance.