DAVID MILLAR last night called for major sponsors to build on the success of the road races at the Commonwealth Games by delivering the finances required to bring a World Tour event to Scotland.

The 37-year-old, in his final season as a professional rider, brought down the curtain on his career in the national colours by coming home 11th in the 168km slog through the rain-soaked streets of Glasgow and immediately branded it the equivalent of anything he has experienced in the Tour de France.

Millar may have described the physical effects of an aggressive and arduous afternoon as "horrible", but was suitably impressed by the support he received from start to finish in the city of his parents, Avril and Gordon.

He believes Glasgow 2014 has proved beyond doubt that this country is capable of staging major sporting spectacles with a global reach and would love to see an elite field from the UCI World Tour feature here at some point in the not-too-distant future.

"There are no races in Scotland, unfortunately," said Millar. "Maybe we should organise a race up here, a cool one-day race, a World Tour.

"Let's put it out there. Let's get a big Scottish sponsor and organise a World Tour. I think it would be fantastic. We have the terrain.

"That was a great sporting event. There was no novelty value about it whatsoever. That was up there with some of the biggest races we do.

"The course itself was fantastic, the race was amazing - we raced from beginning to end - and the crowds would match any single classic or Tour de France stage we have ever seen. It doesn't get any better than that. The organisation has been incredible and the support matches any great sporting event in the world, so I don't see why we don't start trying to host more events.

"There are opportunities now. We have seen that the audiences are starting to buy into bike racing more, so why don't we try to get a one-day race here?"

So much has been said about the crowds at these Games that the fulsome praise is threatening to turn into the most tiresome of clichés.

Millar, however, was cheered on amid a deluge that almost warranted an ark, and that really must go down as something special.

"I wish I could have been at the front of the race, but I don't think it seemed to matter, to be honest," he stated. "People still seemed to be loving it.

"There were moments where it was apocalyptic weather and still five deep with people. I have never seen that before. Normally, people go and hide away. Not in Glasgow. They are indifferent to the weather."

Millar admits pride was really the only thing that got him over the line in the end, mind you.

When the going got tough, the increased fitness of eventual winner Geraint Thomas and other riders coming off the Tour de France - such as Jack Bauer, who won silver, and Mark Renshaw, a most creditable fifth - came into play.

The Scot was dropped from the squad for Le Tour by Garmin-Sharp and his body reminded him of that fact in the closing stages yesterday.

"Normally, I would have stopped," he said. "My arms are exhausted, but you cannot stop when you have so many people out there cheering for you in such bad conditions.

"I think they had as bad a time as me. It was a matter of pride. When you are in your national jersey, in your country, you don't stop. Other guys had the job of helping me and had the right to stop, but I was the leader and I am not allowed to.

"I realised about two-thirds in that I was getting weaker and weaker, and I think that is just a lack of racing. With the Tour guys, it is not that they get stronger. They just don't get tired.

"I am so happy G [Thomas] won, though. He is an amazing bike rider. He was suffering like a dog for the first half, like most of the guys who did the Tour. However, everyone else starts suffering and they start to feel good."

Outwith Millar, Grant Ferguson was the last Scot standing, retiring during the penultimate lap after being swept up by the broom wagon.

He seemed to enjoy his first taste of a major road race, but is clearly not about to turn his back on cross-country mountain biking, where he has already established himself as a two-time British champion and finished fifth at Cathkin Braes last Tuesday.

"It did rain pretty heavily at times, but I am from Scotland and I am used to it," said the 21-year-old from Peebles in the Borders.

"It wasn't that cold. It was slippy out there, though. I still enjoy racing my mountain bike, but if I get the chance to experience this sort of thing and do what I can to provide support, I will do my best."