Richie Porte stepping up to the plate

I follow the cycling tours year after year and my love for the sport grows every minute. I’m always checking what’s going on with all the races around the world and today I found this article on Richie Porte. It was posted on Cycling Central’s website and titled, Porte: Tirreno ideal for Giro build-up. I feel almost sorry for Porte because he is always the second man behind Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins on the Sky team and in the 2013 Tour de France he had to look after Froome and it looked as though he didn't have the chance to ‘have a crack,’ although maybe he just isn’t the best. I completely understand that when you ride for a professional team there has to be domestiques to help the other riders and that is Porte’s job when it comes to those bigger races with the team leaders but personally I feel he should be given the chance to be the team leader to show them what he’s made of.

The article explains how Porte’s goal this year is the Giro d’ Italia and with Froome having to drop out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to a back injury this has allowed Porte to drop Paris-Nice where he didn't feel he had a chance at defending his title to become team leader at Tirreno-Adriatico where the course is more suited to his Giro preparation. I think it’s good that he is able to get more roles as the team leader rather than the domestique.

I had the opportunity to be able to watch Porte ride at this year Tour Down Under in Adelaide and saw him first hand win up Old Willunga Hill with such power and beating big names such as Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans. Richie Porte is someone that I admire and I think that he is a little bit underestimated and he deserves more than to be the domestique. There is a lot more to come from this great Australian rider and I look forward to watching him this year in the Giro and Tirreno-Adriatico.

The full article can be found here:  http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/53310/Porte:-Tirreno-ideal-for-Giro-build-up

Richie Porte (wearing black and blue sky jersey) protecting Chris Froome in the 2013 Tour de France.