The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Porte confident Olympics will be his retribution

Richie Porte wins on Willunga Hill. (Team Sky)
24th July, 2016
0

A bittersweet Tour de France has left Australian cycling star Richie Porte confident he can be a medal contender at the Rio Olympics.

Porte had an uneventful last stage into Paris on Sunday to finish the Tour fifth overall.

He is only the fourth Australian to achieve a top-10 finish at the Tour and it is the best result since Cadel Evans’ historic 2011 win.

But Porte was left cursing a series of mishaps during the three-week race, starting with the ill-timed puncture on stage two where he lost a minute and 45 seconds.

That puncture effectively cost Porte a podium, or top-three, overall finish.

The Tasmanian finished five minutes 17 seconds behind winner Chris Froome, but just a minute and 12 seconds behind runner-up Romain Bardet.

Porte also crashed into the back of a motorbike on the chaotic Mt Ventoux stage and he revealed he had a urinary tract infection during the Tour.

“It hasn’t been the easiest journey, but all those things aside, the aim was the podium,” he told AAP before Sunday’s last stage.

Advertisement

“Realistically, I could have been there and it leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth.

“I’ve spoken with (Australian coach) Brad McGee and it’s all about Rio and that’s a nice fallback – I know I have good form.

“So it’s all about keeping it together over the next two weeks and I shouldn’t have any problems doing that.”

After a low-key night in Paris, Porte was to return to his Monaco home for four days and then race at next Saturday’s Clasica San Sebastian event in Spain before flying to Brazil.

He has the Olympics road race on August 6, the first day of Rio competition, and the road time trial on August 10.

And Porte will head to Rio with lofty ambitions.

“The guys who are up there (in the Tour) are probably the guys who are going to be animating the road race,” he said.

Advertisement

“I’m out-climbing most of those guys, it’s a climber’s course.

“So provided I have a little bit of luck, I can challenge for a medal in either the time trial or the road race.”

While Porte is disappointed that Simon Gerrans was ruled out of the Australian Olympic road team with a broken collarbone, he said Simon Clarke was a strong replacement.

Clarke will be Porte’s main lieutenant for the road race.

“Clarkey has kept his foot on it (training) since he was told (initially) he wasn’t doing it, so that’s the guy you want by your side,” Porte said.

“We’re still going to have a good team.”

While Porte is now focussed on Rio, he is already thinking about next year’s Tour de France.

Advertisement

This was the first time the BMC co-leader was able to go for his own overall result in the Tour, rather than supporting a teammate.

“It is such a bittersweet moment to be sitting here and being so close,” he said of missing the podium.

“It definitely gives me confidence going forward into next year – I know I’m one of the strongest riders in the peloton in July.”

close