Porte riding the Giro good move for his future ?

[just some guy]

So after all the talk from Richie about not riding the Giro just the tour.

Saxo named him yesterday in the Giro line up.

Great move for his future . I have a feeling the month of April and May last year maybe put a few ideas in his head about it all being too easy.

This year until yesterday has been pretty poor so suffering and learning from Bertie will be great for his future.

What say you?

 

[Sydney21]

I don't think its a great move. He is certainly not at full health and his results on many stages this year have been affected by this. I also don't think its fair of Bjarne to give him such short notice. I read somewhere that he was told yesterday. It is a very good thing for Alberto and Saxo but not great for Richie IMO. I hope they dont try to make him ride the Tour too and instead give him a shot at the Vuelta.

 

[slartiblartfast]

Is it a publicity move because Porte made such a big name for himself in last year's Giro? Or maybe Riis is worried about Contador being blown out before the Tour so he is making sure he has the A team in place for the Giro.

Why is Contador doing the Giro anyway? It is a torture fest and he will be way overdone if/when he attempts to back up for the Tour.

 

[K-0tic]

I don't see this as a bad thing. Even though he didn't prepare specifically and it will be a tough ride he can only learn from this. The way I see it, it's just another experience. The only thing is he now probably needs to do is not to ride the Tour. But maybe Richie will just do 10 or 12 days and then go home before the fireworks start.

 

[Kwibus]

Is it a publicity move because Porte made such a big name for himself in last year's Giro? Or maybe Riis is worried about Contador being blown out before the Tour so he is making sure he has the A team in place for the Giro.

Why is Contador doing the Giro anyway? It is a torture fest and he will be way overdone if/when he attempts to back up for the Tour.

Because he thinks he can win more then 1 GT in a year and because it's not sure he will be able to ride the TdF.

 

[search]

who's gonna be left for the Tour if Contador isn't able/allowed to ride? Chris Anker Soerensen as Saxos guy for GC?!

I doubt Porte will finish the Giro this year, bad move in my humble opinion

 

[hrotha]

who's gonna be left for the Tour if Contador isn't able/allowed to ride? Chris Anker Soerensen as Saxos guy for GC?!

I doubt Porte will finish the Giro this year, bad move in my humble opinion

Sørensen is not in any way a less solid GC rider than Porte at this point, and there's Larsson too. Simply put, Saxo without Contador will just be a stage-hunting team.

 

[movingtarget]

As someone else mentioned on the Tour of Romandie thread. I am sure that he is mainly there for the team trial and also because they have decided that appeal or not, Contador will miss the TDF. He will be a handy domestique for Contador but I don't expect to see him riding with Contador at the end of the hardest mountain stages. He has not shown that sort of climbing form before. For Porte himself though, I think the TDF was the better race.

 

[K-0tic]

who's gonna be left for the Tour if Contador isn't able/allowed to ride? Chris Anker Soerensen as Saxos guy for GC?!

I doubt Porte will finish the Giro this year, bad move in my humble opinion

Perhaps Porte will just ride the first 10 days or so to support Contador and get some racing days and then drop out before it gets really tough so he can still prepare for the TDF and be top there.

 

[Ferminal]

What is the point of Porte riding the TdF just to get 17th place?

Very good move.

 

[will10]

I think it's sensible. Porte doesn't have brilliant form yet this year, by riding for Contador at the Giro he can help on a selection of stages and sit in the grupetto when he's really suffering. It would have been much worse, had he not done the Giro and AC been banned in June, for him to be going into the Tour with the pressure of being a leader.

 

[Mellow Velo]

What is the point of Porte riding the TdF just to get 17th place?

Very good move.

That's my take on it, too.
It's not as if he can contend the Tour podium.
Far too much emphasis placed both here and by the teams on turning up and scrapping for the 10th-20th spots.

The Giro is Saxo's best bet, given the climate.

He can do a half decent domestique job at the Giro, without going to far into the red and still get to the Tour in good enough form to finish in the teens.

 

[roundabout]

Porte finished in the last group yet again today, btw

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

good for his future.
if you mean accepting he should be a domestique, then yes I agree

 

[LukeSchmid]

Does Porte really have a future other than as decent TTer?

 

[maltiv]

Does Porte really have a future other than as decent TTer?

He could definitely win easy editions of P-N, ToC etc if Tony Martin isn't there.

In my opinion, CAS is a better bet for the overall in TDF. He could get around 15th- 10th overall, win a stage or even get the KOM jersey.

 

[K-0tic]

That's my take on it, too.
It's not as if he can contend the Tour podium.
Far too much emphasis placed both here and by the teams on turning up and scrapping for the 10th-20th spots.

The Giro is Saxo's best bet, given the climate.

He can do a half decent domestique job at the Giro, without going to far into the red and still get to the Tour in good enough form to finish in the teens.

It's the best Saxo has given the riders they can line up. With a good run Porte can maybe do top-10 and the others will be aiming for stage wins. It's more based on hope but it's at least something. Besides, if you have some riders within the top-20 you might even try and win the team's classification. The team is just way too dependent on Contador but without him you need to make the best out of it.

 

[peloton]

What is the point of Porte riding the TdF just to get 17th place?

Very good move.

+1

''I'm going there with no pressure at all. If I am not working for Alberto, I can slip off out the back [and save energy],'' Porte told the Herald. ''It's going to be awesome to ride with Alberto. I have ridden a small race with him, and it does lift you up as a rider to go and ride on the front for someone like that.''


So Porte has been called up to the Giro team in a move Gates believes could pay dividends for him when he embarks on his first Tour in July. ''I think it will be better for him,'' Gates said. ''I just don't think he knows his capability. I reckon the more he does, the more he will be really good. He will do the Giro and then he will do a training camp between the Giro and the Tour."

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/porte-primed-to-climb-for-contador-20110501-1e352.html

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Porte was only good for about one month last year, starting with his ITT in Romandie and ending with the Giro.

He had a good day in the ITT in Romandie again yesterday.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Porte was only good for about one month last year, starting with his ITT in Romandie and ending with the Giro.

He had a good day in the ITT in Romandie again yesterday.

he was pretty good at san seb. also.

 

[The Hitch]

he was pretty good at san seb. also.

And World ITT

 

[Fus087]

Porte was only good for about one month last year, starting with his ITT in Romandie and ending with the Giro.

He had a good day in the ITT in Romandie again yesterday.

He was also in the top-10 in San Sebastian last year, and was 4th in both the ENECO Tour (only because of the ITT), the Tour of Britain (where there was no ITT) and the ITT Worlds.

EDIT: Timmy and Hitch just beat me.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

And World ITT

yeah, he is a pretty good itt'r.

I also think he could do well in classics, he did a pretty good ride on the strade stage last year, that was his most impresive showing imo.

He needs to forget GTs, there are simply more talented riders in that area either at a similar age or younger.

 

[Sophistic]

hes not a gc contender so working for contador makes more sense then fighting for a top 20 at the tour. his (relatively)poor climbing at a weight of 63kg still irritates me, must have some crazy aerodynamic and biomechanics for the itt. cant think of anyone in that weight category who was so much better in flat itts than climbs.

 

[jaylew]

Good move. Saxo needs to go all out for the Giro considering AC's Tour uncertainty and I think Riis knows Porte isn't going to contend at the Tour so why save him when he can be useful at the Giro.

I actually think he could possibly contend at GTs in the future but I think it's going to be down the road and I figured he might struggle for a year or two. He's not terribly young in years but he is in racing miles. After his early success in the Giro, I figured he might have some issues while trying to drop weight and up his training miles and intensity. Overtraining, illness, and struggling to get his form right seemed likely. He certainly wouldn't be the first rider to struggle a bit while trying to confirm an unexpected GT result.