Richie Porte Discussion Thread.

[JRanton]

Not only that, but his team is weak. Porte himself was Froome's most important domestique in a rather thin looking team. Porte does not have another Porte.

Nieve is a perfectly good enough climber to support him in the mountains. I'm not sure what else you'd be expecting in this situation. How many teams have a stronger climber than Nieve as their 3rd best in the team?

 

[SeriousSam]

There must always be a Froome. Porte is the new Froome. Expect him to be the best climber.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Nieve is a perfectly good enough climber to support him in the mountains. I'm not sure what else you'd be expecting in this situation. How many teams have a stronger climber than Nieve as their 3rd best in the team?

Add Thomas and Kiri to that who are both capable of doing lots of work on the front.

 

[JRanton]

There must always be a Froome. Porte is the new Froome. Expect him to be the best climber.

Hilarious.

On a serious note, I see him finishing in the 6-10 range.

 

[JRanton]

Add Thomas and Kiri to that who are both capable of doing lots of work on the front.

Neither are climbers for the high mountains. Sky won't be working on the front now so those two become a bit redundant.

 

[VeloHuman]

Porte is in excellent position for a good GC placing now, having had a great Stage 5 while most of his rivals suffered. It's all up to whether he has refound his form now.

 

[MBotero]

So the time has come for Little Richie to show his worth.I'm curious if he's able to challenge the other GC guys.Theoretical speaking,it shouldn't be too hard since he was dropping them all over the places last year

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Nieve is a perfectly good enough climber to support him in the mountains. I'm not sure what else you'd be expecting in this situation. How many teams have a stronger climber than Nieve as their 3rd best in the team?

Nieve is indeed more than adequate as a last man to get you bottles. But that's the sort of support lil Richie is going to get. He's not going to have a team that can play a significant tactical role for him. That's quite a change from how things were supposed to be for Froome and how things were for Sky's leaders over the previous two Tours.

Nieve has also, much like the Tasmanian Gnome himself, generally been quite flakey over his career.

 

[cineteq]

For the sake of cycling, for the sake of Sky I hope Porte doesn't go nuclear and wins the Tour. I'll say no more.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Porte is certainly capable of Tour podium but is he as strong as last year? I have doubts.

 

[MBotero]

For the sake of cycling, for the sake of Sky I hope Porte doesn't go nuclear and wins the Tour. I'll say no more.

Why not it will be a very quiet forum here for a long time

 

[JRanton]

Nieve is indeed more than adequate as a last man to get you bottles. But that's the sort of support lil Richie is going to get. He's not going to have a team that can play a significant tactical role for him. That's quite a change from how things were supposed to be for Froome and how things were for Sky's leaders over the previous two Tours.

Nieve has also, much like the Tasmanian Gnome himself, generally been quite flakey over his career.

He'll have as much support and more than most other riders would in the same situation. To describe the remaining team as ''weak'' in the circumstances is ludicrous.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

He'll have as much support and more than most other riders would in the same situation. To describe the remaining team as ''weak'' in the circumstances is ludicrous.

Arguing that a team is not weak because "the circumstances" caused it to be weak is ludicrous. "The circumstances" explain why the team is weak, they do not make it stronger.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Really strong ride by Porte today, he crashed at a bad moment (and was used as a bunny hop today Bram Tankink @bramtankink · 24 min
“@wynants82: Sorry @richie_porte for jumping over you , hope your ok #bunnyhop” So am I. I was the second Belkin rider jumping over you.) else he could have won more time on most other favourites. But he showed today he is ready. His support will be fine I think with Nieve and Thomas, they don't need to control the race like they had to with Froome although they still might as it is Sky.

 

[icefire]

Porte is certainly capable of Tour podium but is he as strong as last year? I have doubts.

Last year? You mean Ax3 or Peuresourde+Azet+Ancizan?

 

[alspacka]

I know he hasn't shown much this year, but this is Sky, at the tour. I'm putting money on Porte to podium right now. Wouldn't even be shocked if he wins it.

 

[inri2000]

I'll say no more.

lol do you promise?

 

[orangerider]

Definitely wouldn't rule out Porte. Although he's been out of shape this year, we've seen freakish alien acts out of him before on the steepest longest climbs. A repeat of that could put Contador out of the running and certainly anyone else.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Not only that, but his team is weak. Porte himself was Froome's most important domestique in a rather thin looking team. Porte does not have another Porte.

This is like when Pippen stepped up to kinda fill (if not in scoring then at least in leadership) Jordan's shoes in the '93-94 NBA season, and the Chicago Bulls incredible won more regular season games than the season before. But come play off time, who was there to play Pippen?

With Richie, I think that he has a decent shot at the Tour podium, if he has recovered a similar vein of form to some of his high mountain stage performances last year. Considering his season of illness and retirements, that's quite a big IF.

 

[pastronef]

For the sake of cycling, for the sake of Sky I hope Porte doesn't go nuclear and wins the Tour. I'll say no more.

well, at least noone will complain about his riding style and weak palmares

I do hope he goes nuclear

 

[maxmartin]

Sir B said in the interview after the stage, RP climbed better than ever, and he can't wait for the mountain stages to start

 

[Jelantik]

Definitely wouldn't rule out Porte. Although he's been out of shape this year, we've seen freakish alien acts out of him before on the steepest longest climbs. A repeat of that could put Contador out of the running and certainly anyone else.

maybe maybe. But last year he was in his shape of his life. This year not so much. The only difference is he is probably fresher since he has been DNF on most of his race. It's hard to say he'll do the alien attack. If it's last year, I would believe. His form this year, even in dauphine, doesn't suggest where he is exactly in his fitness.

 

[Jelantik]

Sir B said in the interview after the stage, RP climbed better than ever, and he can't wait for the mountain stages to start

Is this the same guy who said that team chemistry is more important than bringing wiggins as domestique? How was that maple now? hm.. yeah, he is also talking about wanting a french rider on team sky to win TDF. He has been saying the right thing to earn more browny points to TDF organizer (I'm sure they weren't happy since the past winner + tour starts in england is left behind).

 

[greenedge]

Nieve is indeed more than adequate as a last man to get you bottles. But that's the sort of support lil Richie is going to get. He's not going to have a team that can play a significant tactical role for him. That's quite a change from how things were supposed to be for Froome and how things were for Sky's leaders over the previous two Tours.

If Porte is within one minute of Nibali or Contador heading into the ITT he would most likely win- all he has to do is limit losses to Contador and try gain a bit on Nibali (easier said than done ofc)

 

[hfer07]

If Porte is within one minute of Nibali or Contador heading into the ITT he would most likely win- all he has to do is limit losses to Contador and try gain a bit on Nibali (easier said than done ofc)

with all due respect-but Porte has to first PROVE his worth as a team leader way before even thinking of winning the Tour-and he has not yet had that chance. Its a different role which requires "consistency" which Richie hasn't shown lately-even on last year's tour when he was flying & dropping Contador like nothing-and yet in one single stage he lost -what -20 minutes? In my opinion I'd have him going for stage wins instead of blowing up the team for a mere top 10