Richie Porte - what do we know about him?

[Froome19]

I had lunch with Richie last week. I would be the last person a doper would want to hang out with.

I found him very open, direct, and confident. He was clearly very passionate about the sport and his team. I asked a lot of questions and he gave me very direct, non-evasive, answers. I have had the same discussion with dozens of riders over the years but few have been as direct as Richie.

Thanks..

This type of material is what these Sky threads need, instead of all the old arguments being dredged up again and again and subsequent posts like D&C's here.

 

[Miburo]

I had lunch with Richie last week. I would be the last person a doper would want to hang out with.

I found him very open, direct, and confident. He was clearly very passionate about the sport and his team. I asked a lot of questions and he gave me very direct, non-evasive, answers. I have had the same discussion with dozens of riders over the years but few have been as direct as Richie.

Which questions? did you bring up leinders?

 

[horsinabout]

I had lunch with Richie last week. I would be the last person a doper would want to hang out with.

I found him very open, direct, and confident. He was clearly very passionate about the sport and his team. I asked a lot of questions and he gave me very direct, non-evasive, answers. I have had the same discussion with dozens of riders over the years but few have been as direct as Richie.

May I ask? Are you a journalist?

 

[webvan]

Which questions? did you bring up leinders?

Yeah, what he said, what did he have to say about the Leinders situation?

 

[Race Radio]

Which questions? did you bring up leinders?

I absolutely brought up Leinders and he addressed it very directly. He did not toss him under the bus, pretend he did not know him, as is often the case with someone with something to hide. He said that Leinders was a good man, something I have heard often, and that he never suggested any doping.

I have always had the position that hiring Leinders was a mistake as it showed they had not done their due diligence.....But Leinders is not the guy you hire to run ultra-sophisticated modern doping program.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

But Leinders is not the guy you hire to run ultra-sophisticated modern doping program.

No, he is good in saddle sores and misdiagnosing skin rashes:

Michelle Cound ‏@michellecound
@JonetHernandez @digger_forum the only thing Leinders did for him was misdiagnose his skin condition #clueless

Did you look him in the eyes?

 

[delbified]

lol.. richie porte. let's examine the evidence.

....

umm.. well there is none. but he's definitely on the juice. you're not a real cycling fan unless you know everyone at the pointy end is quietly doing it.

 

[blackcat]

RR did you contact Richie or did Richie contact you, and were you just passing through Monte Carlo on business?

 

[Le Baroudeur]

I absolutely brought up Leinders and he addressed it very directly. He did not toss him under the bus, pretend he did not know him, as is often the case with someone with something to hide. He said that Leinders was a good man, something I have heard often, and that he never suggested any doping.

I have always had the position that hiring Leinders was a mistake as it showed they had not done their due diligence.....But Leinders is not the guy you hire to run ultra-sophisticated modern doping program.

Happy to administer them though.

I wonder how the inter disciplin meetings with Dave and Jürgen Gröbler are going. They were highlighted by the host TV media to a nervous looking DB at the Olympics but I haven't seen their importance mentioned again.

 

[Bala Verde]

I absolutely brought up Leinders and he addressed it very directly. He did not toss him under the bus, pretend he did not know him, as is often the case with someone with something to hide. He said that Leinders was a good man, something I have heard often, and that he never suggested any doping.

I have always had the position that hiring Leinders was a mistake as it showed they had not done their due diligence.....But Leinders is not the guy you hire to run ultra-sophisticated modern doping program.

Or maybe they got him exactly for that purpose; he wasn't a "big name" or an untouchable (like Fuentes, Moral or Ferrari); he was a quiet, somewhat unknown, behind the scenes guy, laboring away to prevent riders from getting popped to protect the reputation of his employer, and perhaps also out of concern for the rider?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Or maybe they got him exactly for that purpose; he wasn't a "big name" or an untouchable (like Fuentes, Moral or Ferrari); he was a quiet, somewhat unknown, behind the scenes guy, laboring away to prevent riders from getting popped to protect the reputation of his employer, and perhaps also out of concern for the rider?

Would that be similar to an internal testing program?

 

[Bala Verde]

Would that be similar to an internal testing program?

Definitely, with the addition that he would also help them calibrate their dosages.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Did RR look Porte in the eyes and see his honesty?

More importantly, did Porte swear on his dog that he's clean?

 

[Netserk]

I absolutely brought up Leinders and he addressed it very directly. He did not toss him under the bus, pretend he did not know him, as is often the case with someone with something to hide. He said that Leinders was a good man, something I have heard often, and that he never suggested any doping.

I have always had the position that hiring Leinders was a mistake as it showed they had not done their due diligence.....But Leinders is not the guy you hire to run ultra-sophisticated modern doping program.

Did you ask if Porte knew about the former Rabo-riders' experience with him(Leinders)?

 

[The Hitch]

Could you expand rr on your comment a few months ago that david moncoutie was dirty?

 

[webbie146]

I absolutely brought up Leinders and he addressed it very directly. He did not toss him under the bus, pretend he did not know him, as is often the case with someone with something to hide. He said that Leinders was a good man, something I have heard often, and that he never suggested any doping.

I have always had the position that hiring Leinders was a mistake as it showed they had not done their due diligence.....But Leinders is not the guy you hire to run ultra-sophisticated modern doping program.

If a average cycling fan like me knows Leiders = doping, how can a team with a budget of millions not know

 

[maxmartin]

If a average cycling fan like me knows Leiders = doping, how can a team with a budget of millions not know

you are more than an average cycling fan

 

[Bronstein]

Sky never wanted to know anything about Leinders. That is why they let Peters 'interview' him. Blind Freddy would known that it was very likely that Leinders was involved in doping at Rabobank. To claim that Sky's hiring of Leinders can be put down to a lack of due diligence is laughable.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

RaceRadio's opinion on Sky/Froome/Wiggins would be nice to know. just saying.

 

[webbie146]

you are more than an average cycling fan

Haha yea apparently I should start working for sky, do the hiring of people.

 

[thehog]

I had lunch with Richie last week. I would be the last person a doper would want to hang out with.

I found him very open, direct, and confident. He was clearly very passionate about the sport and his team. I asked a lot of questions and he gave me very direct, non-evasive, answers. I have had the same discussion with dozens of riders over the years but few have been as direct as Richie.

Ask him about his TUE's?

 

[the sceptic]

Sky should hire RaceRadio as Walsh personal assistant

 

[The Hitch]

Come on guys dont push this.

Race Radio has earned some respect around here and his opinion is valid.

Of course quiz RR and point out where you disagree with him. As some have said, if lienders was such an accident how comes team 100% attention to detail hired him.

Did Porte talk about Saxo, riis?

Did porte explain what he meant when he said to journos earlier this year that sky simply train harder than anyone else. How can he know that. Is it not extremely offensive to other riders to tell them they are not training as hard as him.

Maybe ask rr what he thinks on the rest of Sky. I remember he said some months ago that he is supsicious of wiggins as wiggos blood values in 2009 tour where similar to his dear friend and hero Lance Armstrong.



I certainly myself find a flaw in believing that because modern riders dont have the same "**** off" attitude to questions about doping as they did 10 years ago and actually answer questions directly these days, means they are clean. Wiggin's behaviour at the tour was in that regard quite remarkable and astonishing. Doping like all things evolves and dopers like all liars and criminals evolve. so new dopers, whether porte is one of them or not, will learn to be more open about the subject.


But to simply dismiss him the second he makes a point that contradicts your opinion is not only wrong and detrimental to your argument but astonishingly closed minded. Its something some (not all) of the sky fans are guilty of and any of you that do it are behaving no differently to the blind nationalistic fanboyism you claim to be opposed to.

People offering legitimate counterarguments is where a person learns to test their opinions to make sure they are right. Not close down and abuse the opponent.


Rrs comments have made me reconsider my opinion. Is Porte clean. Are sky clean. Could Bailsford be telling the truth. I still think the arguments against sky still greatly outweigh the arguments in their favour. It would make no sense to me that wiggins would behave the way he has done since he said "no doping doctors" in 2007 and be clean. but ill keep in mind that RR saw Porte as honest and open minded. Just like ill keep in mind what Walsh said about bailsford even though i see many flaws in that too. And aknowledge it as a point in skys and particularly porte's favour.

 

[maxmartin]

Sky should hire RaceRadio as Walsh personal assistant

maybe he already is , I am not all surprised if SKY PR person here gathering some feedback information LOL

 

[jilbiker]

Porte's face

I know we have trashed this topic either in another thread or in this but each time i look at RichieP's face I am just disgusted, it is clearly evident to me that this fellow is on artificial PED. I speak from experience having worked out (not used) with body builders, I have seen drugs change the body and especially the face. I can spot it a mile. Take for instance I know Will Smith juiced up to pound the muscles he has now. Some of these changes are minor, some major, all depends on what you use. Porte, I know that face from the Saxo days and the is a difference. I see him pounding at the front of the peloton and it just not right!

But you know it will eventually come out...5yrs, 10years, 15yrs (aka Lance)