Richie Porte Discussion Thread.

[Sciatic]

Waiting for his photo giving the “thumbs up” to confirm

 

[Cookster15]

from Ineos site:

"Porte was assessed by the team back at the hotel before being taken to hospital for a scan - with the results thankfully revealing no fractures."

Should be back on the bike fairly quickly then. All not lost.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Back on the bike and in decent form. Yay!

Let's see how Richie goes in the mountains.

 

[will-10]

Back on the bike and in decent form. Yay!

Let's see how Richie goes in the mountains.

Good to see but he's probably just Yate's 3rd last guy in the train this week

 

[gregrowlerson]

Good to see but he's probably just Yate's 3rd last guy in the train this week

Yeah, but he'll sneak his way into GC leadership after the first ITT in July

 

[Cookster15]

I noticed that Porte is quietly riding in Tenerife at altitude with Ineos at the moment. Obviously preparing the Giro to support Bernal whilst everyone is focused on the Roglic and Pogacar show in Basque Country ? If Richie was optimizing his form for the Tour he wouldn't be riding altitude this soon?

 

[CyclistAbi]

I noticed that Porte is quietly riding in Tenerife at altitude with Ineos at the moment. Obviously preparing the Giro to support Bernal whilst everyone is focused on the Roglic and Pogacar show in Basque Country ? If Richie was optimizing his form for the Tour he wouldn't be riding altitude this soon?

Sorry Richie.

P.S. Likely Richie was watching Itzulia Basque Country too.

 

[Cookster15]

Promising ride by Richie in the Romandie prologue. I think he's in very good shape.

 

[Pinot's goat]

I am getting more disappointed every time he races that he has decided to stop going for GC at grand tours.

 

[johnymax]

I am getting more disappointed every time he races that he has decided to stop going for GC at grand tours.

Maybe if he is the best of his team in the first week of the Tour, maybe he'll try after all. It will be interesting to see if they make him go all out in the first ITT.

 

[will-10]

I am getting more disappointed every time he races that he has decided to stop going for GC at grand tours.

Had a similar thought but I'm quite enjoying seeing him go fast, clearly a good environment for him to be in.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I am getting more disappointed every time he races that he has decided to stop going for GC at grand tours.

The pandemic really helped him, for one he wasn't flying all sprint long and overraced before the Tour.
People on this forum have been saying it for years, but it took a global pandemic to force Porte to have a more reasonable schedule before the Tour. I know that he has had bad luck with crashes, but you can't be flying from the Tour Down Under until the Dauphine and not expect to fade at the Tour.

 

[Pinot's goat]

The pandemic really helped him, for one he wasn't flying all sprint long and overraced before the Tour.
People on this forum have been saying it for years, but it took a global pandemic to force Porte to have a more reasonable schedule before the Tour. I know that he has had bad luck with crashes, but you can't be flying from the Tour Down Under until the Dauphine and not expect to fade at the Tour.

I don't recall him ever fading at the Tour, he often seemed to get ill in his early days of being a GC contender and then at his peak he crashed out multiple times before he got the chance to fade.

 

[Leinster]

I don't recall him ever fading at the Tour, he often seemed to get ill in his early days of being a GC contender and then at his peak he crashed out multiple times before he got the chance to fade.

2014 after he took over leadership from Froome. He hung in the top 10 for a few days then just completely disappeared from contention.

But yeah, crashing out has been a bigger issue since he actually took on the leadership role. He faded at Tours where he was riding support for Froome and would be high up in gc early on.

 

[Pinot's goat]

2014 after he took over leadership from Froome. He hung in the top 10 for a few days then just completely disappeared from contention.

But yeah, crashing out has been a bigger issue since he actually took on the leadership role. He faded at Tours where he was riding support for Froome and would be high up in gc early on.

I think he got ill in 2014 and spent. most of the rest of the race recovering before attacking in Paris. I just wish he could have made it past stage 9 in one of 2017 or 2018 so we could see how good he was at his peak.

 

[Red Rick]

The pandemic really helped him, for one he wasn't flying all sprint long and overraced before the Tour.
People on this forum have been saying it for years, but it took a global pandemic to force Porte to have a more reasonable schedule before the Tour. I know that he has had bad luck with crashes, but you can't be flying from the Tour Down Under until the Dauphine and not expect to fade at the Tour.

I think Contador has done that a little bit as well at times. Adam Yates too I think.

 

[Cookster15]

2014 after he took over leadership from Froome. He hung in the top 10 for a few days then just completely disappeared from contention.

But yeah, crashing out has been a bigger issue since he actually took on the leadership role. He faded at Tours where he was riding support for Froome and would be high up in gc early on.

You can't say Porte faded from contention riding in support of Froome. Domestiques are not supposed to be "in contention". As a domestique you sacrifice GC for your leader. Very normal. But when he was dropping rival GC leaders on HC climbs in 2013 we knew he had the potential. There was also 2015 TdF when he basically saved that Tour for Froome with his ride on Alpe D'Huez. But 2016 was when he proved he could lead a team and not crumble.

 

[Leinster]

You can't say Porte faded from contention riding in support of Froome. Domestiques are not supposed to be "in contention". As a domestique you sacrifice GC for your leader. Very normal. But when he was dropping rival GC leaders on HC climbs in 2013 we knew he had the potential. There was also 2015 TdF when he basically saved that Tour for Froome with his ride on Alpe D'Huez. But 2016 was when he proved he could lead a team and not crumble.

Yes and no. Ideally the no2 rider in the team stays high on gc so as to offer a threat against other teams. Porte would be high up the gc after the first couple of mountain stages working for Froome, and then crack completely and drop minutes in the 2nd week. That was why he was looked at (by some) as a 1 week stage race specialist rather than a grand tour contender.

 

[dazaau]

The Tasmanian is looking very good. I almost wish he were doing the Giro to take over when/if Bernal cracks. Would love to see him win a grand tour outright, help ease the pain of 2017 and 18. He will do well at the Tour supporting G, but I cant' see anyone beating the slovenians. But we will see.

 

[Cookster15]

The Tasmanian is looking very good. I almost wish he were doing the Giro to take over when/if Bernal cracks. Would love to see him win a grand tour outright, help ease the pain of 2017 and 18. He will do well at the Tour supporting G, but I cant' see anyone beating the slovenians. But we will see.

I can’t see anyone beating the Slovenians at the TdF. But too bad Richie isn’t listed for the Giro I think he could challenge if Bernal faltered.

 

[Cookster15]

In all honesty, it's no different to what he's (publicly) done in previous years. He's the king of January for a reason ;-)

Care to reassess? No way was Porte in this form in previous years - before 2020 at least. He was on Strava in 2018. KOMs and PBs speak for themselves. So does his TT performances.

 

[gregrowlerson]

It's looking more and more likely that Richie will get another crack at the GC in the Tour as each day passes

 

[dazaau]

He is looking good, that is for sure. Excited to see how he goes this weekend, and if he is given some freedom given this is not the tdf and he lost his chance to lead at Paris-Nice.

 

[yaco]

Doubt very much that both Thomas and Carapaz will be out of contention at the TDF - Of course he could achieve a top 10 in a helper role by default.

 

[dazaau]

Doubt very much that both Thomas and Carapaz will be out of contention at the TDF - Of course he could achieve a top 10 in a helper role by default.

Do you think Carapaz is no.2? His form has been off for a while now.

I imagine G will lead the tour for Ineos to the end, hopefully staying on his bike, and like everyone get smashed by the slovenians.