I'm wondering if Porte is ill. He has lost big time in the past few stages.
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Me too. Wasn't expecting this. No articles on him. Maybe he doesn't handle the cold well? But he hasn't been great a few days now so you may be right about illness. I don't think he deliberately lost time to plan for a stage win? Also hasn't been there for Carapaz.I'm wondering if Porte is ill. He has lost big time in the past few stages.
Except he isn't providing any support. So I think Porte is ill. If he wasn't ill he would be at least close to Thomas and not far from Carapaz. But getting ill is no excuse on a team like Ineos. Stay warm and eat well and it shouldn't happen.Porte can be vulnerable in cold and rainy conditions - He was always going to be a support rider at the TDF.
Except he isn't providing any support. So I think Porte is ill. If he wasn't ill he would be at least close to Thomas and not far from Carapaz. But getting ill is no excuse on a team like Ineos. Stay warm and eat well and it shouldn't happen.
Support riders are usually not at the pointy end in each stage - Porte should do better in the warmer weather.
Except "usually" isn't Richie Porte. Porte is a super domestique. His job is to be at the pointy end. Just as he's been at the pointy end with Sky since 2012. He has been riding at a similar level even though e's older e.g. podium in 2020 TdF podium and superb stage 20 TT. He seems ill.
Not really, Porte was signed as a domestique for the stage races and he said himself before the start that Thomas and Carapaz were the protected riders but when Porte is riding well he usually lasts a long time on the final climbs. I think the team have told him to to switch off more and forget about the time loss but its obvious the time losses irritate him as he has shown on camera a few times after he was dropped. The crashes may have affected him but he's not the same rider that rode and won the Dauphine. Yesterday's stage was probably his best of the race so far apart from the TT. But even then when he was on the front WVA was losing little or no time on the the Ventoux. Porte on his game would be chewing into that lead as he has shown in the past. Hope he still gets chances at the shorter stage races next season as he can still win those.There has only been 2 or possibly 3 mountain type stages - In one he was used up early in the stage, he was terrible in one stage and OK in another stage - Ineos is mixing up their tactics, instead of solely relying on a hard paced mountain train - Add that he has crashed on at least two occasions so there are reasons for an inconsistent performance - At the end of the day, the Aussie cohort falsely though he was riding for GC when this was never the case.
Not really, Porte was signed as a domestique for the stage races and he said himself before the start that Thomas and Carapaz were the protected riders but when Porte is riding well he usually lasts a long time on the final climbs. I think the team have told him to to switch off more and forget about the time loss but its obvious the time losses irritate him as he has shown on camera a few times after he was dropped. The crashes may have affected him but he's not the same rider that rode and won the Dauphine. Yesterday's stage was probably his best of the race so far apart from the TT. But even then when he was on the front WVA was losing little or no time on the the Ventoux. Porte on his game would be chewing into that lead as he has shown in the past. Hope he still gets chances at the shorter stage races next season as he can still win those.
Yes, he is not the same guy who came third last year and won the Dauphine only weeks ago. Too bad as I enjoy watching him ride, wouldn't have minded seeing him suffering in the front of the peloton dropping people.The crashes may have affected him but he's not the same rider that rode and won the Dauphine.
At this point in my career, whether or not I do another Grand Tour… I’m motivated for next year to go and clean up maybe a few more one week stage races before calling it a career,” said Porte.
“I had a talk to my coach Tim Kerrison, and there’s obviously races like Tirreno [Adriatico] and the Pais Basque [Itzulia Basque Country] that I’ve not won. That’s motivating as well. But at the end of the day, I need a little bit of a rest after this.
I don't think he was particularly keen to be a dom, especially after the Dauphiné. I'm not going to say he slacked off in the Tour but he wasn't riding like he did at Sky when he was in his 20s either...Guess it's not suprising that he wants to focus on one-week races in his final season, not sounding... overly keen on the GT dom front.
Richie Porte looks beyond ‘stinker’ at Olympics to focus on final career targets
'I’m motivated for next year to go and clean up maybe a few more one week stage races before calling it a career' says Australian riderwww.cyclingnews.com
I don't think he was particularly keen to be a dom, especially after the Dauphiné. I'm not going to say he slacked off in the Tour but he wasn't riding like he did at Sky when he was in his 20s either...
Of course, but he wasn't a great one when he needed to be....He literally came back to Ineos to be a dom.
Plapp? If Ineos use him the same way they've utilised Porte over the years their DS's deserve a public execution. This kid is something special.I am almost certain Richie's focus (outside of Willunga) will be on mentoring an Ineos about-to-be-announced signing over the next year (until he retires).
Looking at Strava, Porte is stringing together some impressive base building rides in Tasmania right now. Christmas Eve was 233km over 3,000 metres of climbing averaging 34km/h. Yesterday another 133km with >2.000metres of climbing at 35km/h.Richie planning to ride the Giro in 2022.
I like.