Millar happy in China

Millar, who moved to Hong Kong to join his father when he was 13, took second place on Wednesday in the opening time trial of the new Tour of Beijing, a stage race that has been included in the elite World Tour calendar.

"I appreciate being here, because the atmosphere is relaxed, it's the end of the season. It's a great experience to stroll in this city, to go to the Silk Market, to go near the Forbidden City," Millar, who rides for American team Garmin-Cervelo, after being beaten by world champion Tony Martin by 17 seconds.

"If I had been told, when I was riding through the Hong Kong park, that I would take part in one of the biggest races of the world in Beijing in 2011, I wouldn't have believed it," Millar said.

"To me, it was something meant to happen to the future generations, not mine. It's funny how cycling has developed in the past 10 years."

The 34-year-old Millar confessed that he had initially not been keen to travel to China at the end of a long, eventful season.

"I feel very tired, I did not really want to come here at first," said Millar, who this year published his autobiography and welcomed his first son.

"2011 has been an eventful year for me. I wrote my book.

"It's a book meant for those who don't understand cycling and will discover our lives (as riders). Then my first son, Archibald, was born three weeks ago. He was ill before I left for China and I almost did not make the trip. It's not easy for my wife who's on her own in Spain.

"But by making this race a World Tour event, the International Cycling Union made the ProTour teams' presence mandatory, that's the reason why I'm here.

"It's great for cycling to export the peloton to China," he added. "It accelerates the process of globalisation and that's not bad; it's a good thing for cycling."