2011 saw Millar suffer from illness early in the season, missing many of the classics. His best performance was a 3rd-place finish in the overall of the Circuit de la Sarthe. He recovered in time for the Giro d'Italia, finishing second on stage 3 to take the pink jersey as leader of the general classification. Millar's lead, however, was overshadowed by the death of Wouter Weylandt in the Giro on the same day; in the role of race leader, Millar helped organise the tributes to Weylandt's during the subsequent day's neutralised stage.