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Richie Porte Discussion Thread.

Page 90 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

In which year will Porte win the GT Treble?

  • He will only manage the double

    Votes: 9 100.0%

  • Total voters
    9
I pay homage. It was hard to do anything but doubt Porte going into this tour, but he's ridden like a champion. Has to be taken as a serious GT prospect now - and this forum truly knows how far off that was in June. So whatever happens, whatever the what ifs and maybes, he's proven himself.
 
Re: Re:

El Pistolero said:
Cookster15 said:
El Pistolero said:
SeriousSam said:
Everyone important is there except Contador. Quintana isn't as good as he can be. Literally every single GT is weak if we use your exacting standards,

Let's not use the argument "everyone important is there". Beating Boonen in 2016 isn't nearly as impressive as beating Boonen in 2005, to give you an example. I think we can all agree that Quintana is not at his 2013-2015 level. We can also all agree that Nibali isn't here to ride for GC, but to prepare for the Olympics. He already won the Giro and stated before the Tour he was going to help Aru at the Tour instead - which he did. Valverde also has the Giro in his legs which means he's not in top form for this Tour either. So that leaves us with the likes of Mollema.

Sorry but beating Mollema is not impressive and it has nothing to do with Contador crashing out.

Who cares. Porte is riding well regardless. Your carry on is ungracious and unnecessary. Winning the Giro in 2015 wasn't nearly as impressive as winning the Giro in 2011. Contador's best days are past him. Get over it.

And Porte isn't an impressive GT rider. Get over it. ;) Contador has beaten Porte in just about every race they entered this year.
AC has had a lot of bad luck of late but another eminent poster on this forum has said the genuine contenders make their own luck - that's why the win.
 
Jul 28, 2012
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Great tour by Porte, extremely solid 5th place: would have been on the podium if he'd had some team support.

Would be good to see all the CN forum trolls who have spent plenty of time here being cocks humbly retract and admit they suck.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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I don't think Porte rode a great Tour, he barely tried to attack. I can only remember the Mont Ventoux stage, but nothing happened there because of the crash. He's a boring GC rider if you ask me.

Is a fifth place in the Tour (without stage wins) really worth sacrificing your whole season for? Last year he won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino. This year only a stage in the Tour Down Under (which he also won last year).
 
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Re:

El Pistolero said:
I don't think Porte rode a great Tour, he barely tried to attack. I can only remember the Mont Ventoux stage, but nothing happened there because of the crash. He's a boring GC rider if you ask me.

Thats because you live in a fantasy world where everyone can attack at all times. Go back and watch some cycling from the late 90s if you want to see that.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Re: Re:

Glocknerkoenig said:
El Pistolero said:
I don't think Porte rode a great Tour, he barely tried to attack. I can only remember the Mont Ventoux stage, but nothing happened there because of the crash. He's a boring GC rider if you ask me.

Thats because you live in a fantasy world where everyone can attack at all times. Go back and watch some cycling from the late 90s if you want to see that.

And yet Bardet won a stage and finished second by doing a gutsy attack...
 
Aug 31, 2012
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Second strongest rider after Froome, would have been on the podium without the bad luck. That should put those silly 'must always have bad day cos had bad day a few times' conjectures to rest-
 
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Re: Re:

El Pistolero said:
Glocknerkoenig said:
El Pistolero said:
I don't think Porte rode a great Tour, he barely tried to attack. I can only remember the Mont Ventoux stage, but nothing happened there because of the crash. He's a boring GC rider if you ask me.

Thats because you live in a fantasy world where everyone can attack at all times. Go back and watch some cycling from the late 90s if you want to see that.

And yet Bardet won a stage and finished second by doing a gutsy attack...

Sure - had great legs, bit of luck and off he went. It was a great attack. Porte attacks on Ventoux and hits the bike. Crashes yesterday but still tries to attack and loses time. This forum is convinced that its always suicide or glory with cycling, but reality is somewhat more nuanced. How did Mollema's attack go today?
 
Re:

SeriousSam said:
Second strongest rider after Froome, would have been on the podium without the bad luck. That should put those silly 'must always have bad day cos had bad day a few times' conjectures to rest-

Porte had a puncture and lost 1.47 the Ventoux crash cost him at least another 30 seconds, another crash yesterday and fairly hard chase as the pace had been upped by Impey and Astana. He was the unlucky rider of the race as far as GC goes as was Mollema and they both need a change of luck but Porte and his team won't be unhappy with the ride and he will be outright leader next year. TJVG just does not have it. Could have been a great second but the fifth was much better than his critics were expecting of course. Quintana will be wondering how he made the podium.
 
Re:

El Pistolero said:
I don't think Porte rode a great Tour, he barely tried to attack. I can only remember the Mont Ventoux stage, but nothing happened there because of the crash. He's a boring GC rider if you ask me.

Is a fifth place in the Tour (without stage wins) really worth sacrificing your whole season for? Last year he won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino. This year only a stage in the Tour Down Under (which he also won last year).

Would have been 2nd and on the podium in Paris if not for the stage 2 crash. So to answer your question - yes.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Re: Re:

Cookster15 said:
El Pistolero said:
I don't think Porte rode a great Tour, he barely tried to attack. I can only remember the Mont Ventoux stage, but nothing happened there because of the crash. He's a boring GC rider if you ask me.

Is a fifth place in the Tour (without stage wins) really worth sacrificing your whole season for? Last year he won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino. This year only a stage in the Tour Down Under (which he also won last year).

Would have been 2nd and on the podium in Paris if not for the stage 2 crash. So to answer your question - yes.

Would've but didn't. He's not second. He's fifth. And he was never close to winning this race.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Why would I be sour? I just don't like the current trend of GT riders who target a top ten in a GT they can't possibly win. They just follow and don't even try to win stages. Bardet's second place with a stage win is something I respect and rate high. Quintana's third place however is worthless to me. But unlike Porte he did win some nice races already this season (Romandie, Catalunya), so his season isn't a total failure. He'll also be at the Vuelta and I don't think Porte will start there.
 
Re:

El Pistolero said:
Why would I be sour? I just don't like the current trend of GT riders who target a top ten in a GT they can't possibly win. They just follow and don't even try to win stages. Bardet's second place with a stage win is something I respect and rate high. Quintana's third place however is worthless to me. But unlike Porte he did win some nice races already this season (Romandie, Catalunya), so his season isn't a total failure. He'll also be at the Vuelta and I don't think Porte will start there.

You are softening ;) . Porte won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino last year so he's proved he can win races but he never proved his credentials in a Grand Tour over a full 3 weeks. He's done that now. Bardet rode exceptionally well this Tour and deserves commendation for his attack on Mont Blanc. But that attack came when Froome had crashed and Porte likewise was caught and forced to chase back on. Do you think Bardet would have been able to attack if he was the one caught and forced to chase? You do what you can not what keyboard warriors think.

I suspect you are struggling with Alberto's misfortune. We will never know how this race would have developed but don't take that out on LRP.
 
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El Pistolero said:
Is a fifth place in the Tour (without stage wins) really worth sacrificing your whole season for? Last year he won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino. This year only a stage in the Tour Down Under (which he also won last year).

Unfortunately it might be, just ask VDB2 with his 7 figure paycheck. Money ruins a lot of things, including cycling.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Re: Re:

Cookster15 said:
El Pistolero said:
Why would I be sour? I just don't like the current trend of GT riders who target a top ten in a GT they can't possibly win. They just follow and don't even try to win stages. Bardet's second place with a stage win is something I respect and rate high. Quintana's third place however is worthless to me. But unlike Porte he did win some nice races already this season (Romandie, Catalunya), so his season isn't a total failure. He'll also be at the Vuelta and I don't think Porte will start there.

You are softening ;) . Porte won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino last year so he's proved he can win races but he never proved his credentials in a Grand Tour over a full 3 weeks. He's done that now. Bardet rode exceptionally well this Tour and deserves commendation for his attack on Mont Blanc. But that attack came when Froome had crashed and Porte likewise was caught and forced to chase back on. Do you think Bardet would have been able to attack if he was the one caught and forced to chase? You do what you can not what keyboard warriors think.

I suspect you are struggling with Alberto's misfortune. We will never know how this race would have developed but don't take that out on LRP.

I'm not struggling with Contador's misfortune, I just think Porte isn't riding a good season. One win in the Tour Down Under and not even a podium in his beloved race. Porte had three weeks to do something, but he never did something that could put him on the podium.

Second, third or fifth, it's all the same: you lose.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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Re: Re:

Flamin said:
El Pistolero said:
Is a fifth place in the Tour (without stage wins) really worth sacrificing your whole season for? Last year he won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino. This year only a stage in the Tour Down Under (which he also won last year).

Unfortunately it might be, just ask VDB2 with his 7 figure paycheck. Money ruins a lot of things, including cycling.

But VDB2 doesn't have enough talent to win high profile races on a regular basis, Porte does. I also doubt that Katusha is paying him that.
 
Re:

El Pistolero said:
Why would I be sour? I just don't like the current trend of GT riders who target a top ten in a GT they can't possibly win. They just follow and don't even try to win stages. Bardet's second place with a stage win is something I respect and rate high. Quintana's third place however is worthless to me. But unlike Porte he did win some nice races already this season (Romandie, Catalunya), so his season isn't a total failure. He'll also be at the Vuelta and I don't think Porte will start there.

Porte did attack and what did it got him? A moto in his face because ASO can't organize the race properly. Maybe he would have attacked more had he not crashed there? Look at Froome in the 2014 Dauphine, from racing thermonuclear to being dropped by his own domestiques. There is no telling how much that crash effected him.
 
Re: Re:

El Pistolero said:
Flamin said:
El Pistolero said:
Is a fifth place in the Tour (without stage wins) really worth sacrificing your whole season for? Last year he won Paris-Nice, Catalunya and Trentino. This year only a stage in the Tour Down Under (which he also won last year).

Unfortunately it might be, just ask VDB2 with his 7 figure paycheck. Money ruins a lot of things, including cycling.

But VDB2 doesn't have enough talent to win high profile races on a regular basis, Porte does. I also doubt that Katusha is paying him that.

Point is that I doubt any sponsor is going to pay you equally well for winning Paris-Nice and Catalunya than finishing 5th in the Tour with a genuine shot at the podium.

And no, of course Katusha ain't paying him that, but Lotto did in his peak years, you know, when he almost solely focused on a high Tour placing...
 

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