British veteran David Millar will start the 24th and final Grand Tour of his career after Garmin-Sharp confirmed his place in their nine-man Vuelta a Espana squad.

Millar, 37, a five-time stage winner at the Vuelta, retires at the end of the season and starts the Spanish Grand Tour in a team built to support Dan Martin and Ryder Hesjedal.

The Scot, who was one of just 12 riders to finish the Commonwealth Games men’s road race, surprisingly missed out on selection for the Tour de France last month but has been granted a final Grand Tour swansong by the team, which is set to merge with Cannondale next year.

Birmingham-born Irishman Martin, meanwhile, starts the race with the aim of putting his Giro d’Italia stage one crash firmly behind him.

The 28-year-old continued his return to form by finishing third at the Tour de l’Ain last week, and heads a strong, balanced team heading to Spain.

Directeur sportif Bingen Fernandez said of the selection: “We approach the Vuelta with a very strong team with great options.

“We will be led by Dan and Ryder and bring a strong mix of youth (this is Nate Brown’s first Grand Tour) and experience (with great veterans like David Millar and Johan Vansummeren).

“Andrew Talansky is here as well and will be a huge asset to Dan and Ryder. It should be an exciting race.”

Criterium du Dauphine winner Talansky is another rider looking to bounce back after crashing out of the Tour de France, joining the likes of Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) at the Vuelta.

Talansky has not raced since earning widespread plaudits for completing stage 11 of the Tour, battling against the cut-off time in obvious pain before withdrawing from the race overnight.

Hesjedal, meanwhile, will be keen to show the same form he displayed on his way to finishing ninth at the Giro d’Italia – overturning a deficit of more than three minutes after the team’s time trial crash.

Koldo Fernandez, who also withdrew from the Giro after the injuries suffered in the team time trial, Nathan Haas and Andre Cardoso join Martin and Hesjedal from the squad who started that race in Belfast.

Debutant Brown and 33-year-old Vansummeren, who also completed the Tour de France, complete the line-up, which will take to the start line in Jerez on Saturday (August 23).

Garmin-Sharp for the 2014 Vuelta a Espana

Dan Martin (IRL)
Ryder Hesjedal (CAN)
David Millar (SCO)
Andrew Talansky (USA)
Johan Vansummeren (BEL)
Nathan Haas (AUS)
Nathan Brown (USA)
Koldo Fernandez (ESP)
Andre Cardoso (POR)