Richie Porte - what do we know about him?

[thehog]

I miss Cound on twitter.

The Tour promised so much. Contador being called a doper. Dawg breaking Riis's time on Hautacam. Walsh dismissing pseudoscience then using it on other riders. Porte riding on the front for 90% of an entire stage and still attacking to come 2nd.

Instead what do we get? Middle aged French guys sucking wheels.

Such a disappointment for the Clinic

 

[JimmyFingers]

I don't disagree with you, I would have included Porte in the team as well. But he was no plan B.

But to be honest there was never any mention of Plan Bs before the Tour and Wiggins never touted himself as one. He wanted to help. Wiggins should have been in that team.

You can tell the squad was hand picked by Dawg with input from Michele. Sir Dave just can't manage his team.

Can you imagine Tinkov or Riis putting up with that crap? He dispatched the Shlecks for their drinking and once he got wind of them setting up team Luxembourg.

If Riis ran Sky, Wiggins would be in. The Dawg would be kept under control from chasing everything down and Cound would be sent on a holiday.

Snowball in hell, I largely agree. In 2011 they lost their GC rider but showed real enterprise. In 2012 they were dominant. In 2013 Froome was dominant, the team was suspect. In 2014 they look clueless, a real regression. Again I'm not saying its doping or the lack of it, but there is a lack of racing nous which seems to coincide with the rise of Froome, and also the ejection og characters like Rogers, Yates and de Jongh, and the lessened influence of Sutton.

Basically the backbone was ripped out and replaced with Cound.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Instead what do we get? Middle aged French guys sucking wheels.

Such a disappointment for the Clinic

Brush your teeth, best tour in ages. And not only for the French.

 

[thehog]

Snowball in hell, I largely agree. In 2011 they lost their GC rider but showed real enterprise. In 2012 they were dominant. In 2013 Froome was dominant, the team was suspect. In 2014 they look clueless, a real regression. Again I'm not saying its doping or the lack of it, but there is a lack of racing nous which seems to coincide with the rise of Froome, and also the ejection og characters like Rogers, Yates and de Jongh, and the lessened influence of Sutton.

Basically the backbone was ripped out and replaced with Cound.

Actually you're right. In 2011 after Wiggins crashed, EBH won 2 stages.

And the final line of your post! LOL!

The irony in all of this of course is, for all the talk of Wiggins not being a good team leader etc. 2011 lead up to the Tour and all of 2012 Sky have never looked so good as one unit.

Since Fround Inc. took over the leadership from the 2012 Vuelta onwards, there's literally been no team. Just Dawg & Porte. And Michele.

 

[thehog]

Good ride by Plan B today. Out did himself.

 

[the sceptic]

Good ride by Plan B today. Out did himself.

Beaten by Sagan and Coquard. And Frank Schleck

Starting to get some doubts about that 2010 giro now. Seems a bit too good to be true.

 

[thehog]

Beaten by Sagan and Coquard. And Frank Schleck

Starting to get some doubts about that 2010 giro now. Seems a bit too good to be true.

His Tour of Tasmania title might also be in doubt

 

[Cycle Chic]

.....and it didn’t work out then that would be one scenario but he genuinely got ill

Brailsford on Porte after todays effort.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brailsford-remains-confident-in-portes-grand-tour-leadership

Why say genuinely ? he's obviously heard the doubters....or faux pas ??

 

[Dear Wiggo]

I was wondering why Porte, who is clearly unwell (?) would continue. And then read this:

When asked if Porte could lead Team Sky in a grand tour in 2015, Brailsford said. “It’s too early to say that, we’ve not finished this race yet.”
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brailsford-remains-confident-in-portes-grand-tour-leadership

Anyone else reading this as, "If Porte wants to lead a GT next year, he had better finish this one"?

 

[Cycle Chic]

I was wondering why Porte, who is clearly unwell (?) would continue. And then read this:



Anyone else reading this as, "If Porte wants to lead a GT next year, he had better finish this one"?

No - I read it as 'if Porte gets back on the juice we will make him team leader'

 

[thehog]

No - I read it as 'if Porte gets back on the juice we will make him team leader'

I read it as:

" Porte stopped doping at this Tour and to counteract a potential passport issue with a drop in his parameters we had to make up a sickness. If Richie is serious about being team leader then he'll have to start on the full program. We can't have him EBH'ing it. There's no place for talent at Team Sky".

 

[Cycle Chic]

illness

Just had a look at Richie's Twitter page - a tweet nearly every day of the Tour and NOT 1 MENTION of ILLNESS


https://twitter.com/richie_porte

 

[thehog]

Just had a look at Richie's Twitter page - a tweet nearly every day of the Tour and NOT 1 MENTION of ILLNESS


https://twitter.com/richie_porte

Don't tell me they forgot to tell him he was sick!? Someone needs to remind him that he's on a antibiotics and not feeling very well.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

all a bit laughable, but lets wait and see what the dynamic duo comes up with for the Vuelta.

Here Porte about to destroy Valverde and Contador on AX3:

 

[sniper]

Just had a look at Richie's Twitter page - a tweet nearly every day of the Tour and NOT 1 MENTION of ILLNESS


https://twitter.com/richie_porte

nice spot.

Don't tell me they forgot to tell him he was sick!?

hilarious. does look like it.

as for brailsford saying richie is "genuinely ill":
as people have already said, if he is genuinely ill why not pull him out?
one would think in 2010 sky have learned that sickness is nothing to make fun about.

sky all over the place once more.

 

[MBotero]

all a bit laughable, but lets wait and see what the dynamic duo comes up with for the Vuelta.

Here Porte about to destroy Valverde and Contador on AX3:

I'm afraid they need to swap Porte with Kennaugh as main domestique for this Vuelta.No way they gonna let Porte perform AX3 performances after his **** year,it will be too much even for Sky,they would lose all their credibility,not that they have too much .

 

[the sceptic]

Don't tell me they forgot to tell him he was sick!? Someone needs to remind him that he's on a antibiotics and not feeling very well.

I think sky have the plague. Everyone is sick this year and it appears impossible to cure. Maybe they need to hire Leinders again?

 

[thehog]

I think sky have the plague. Everyone is sick this year and it appears impossible to cure. Maybe they need to hire Leinders again?

He's the only one with enough experience with saddles sores and chest infections. They need him back. And someone who knows badzhilla and his good friends with the UCI.

That should do it.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

He's the only one with enough experience with saddles sores and chest infections. They need him back. And someone who knows badzhilla and his good friends with the UCI.

That should do it.

It's possible that Sky have got complacent and stopped washing their hands properly. It's certainly a reasonable conclusion to come to with so much illness around the team this year.

 

[deeno1975]

He's the only one with enough experience with saddles sores and chest infections. They need him back. And someone who knows badzhilla and his good friends with the UCI.

That should do it.

I suspect a serious case of Nutella... Whatever are we going to see next, Sky mechanics washing their bikes in the open air?

Me thinks, they came off some type of "program", interesting Vuelta ahead... What's the number of Motoman again?

 

[DirtyWorks]

..No way they gonna let Porte perform AX3 performances after his **** year,it will be too much even for Sky...

You aren't thinking about the problem right. Sky scientists discover rare illness... And then, with JUST THE RIGHT DOCTOR, Porte returns to GC splendor.

 

[thehog]

Perhaps this guy can talk to Brailsford about delivering a measured response.

Mature beyond his years. And very refreshing from the BS coming from Walsh & Sky.

“It was really me against Valverde for a place on the podium,” admitted Pinot. “I'm only 24, and he's older than me [34], so it was perhaps youth that counted in my favour on this occasion, after three weeks of effort.

“As for Jean-Christophe Péraud, I knew that he was going to be hard to beat, and I think I can be satisfied because I didn't lose too much time to him,” continued Pinot. “Plus it means that two French riders have finished on the podium of the Tour de France! So I'm not disappointed at all: 24 years old, third in the Tour de France, and the white jersey, having fought with the best riders in the mountains... I'm very proud.”

Pinot has enjoyed what has been at times almost overwhelming support from the French public, and has confirmed that he is a serious contender for a future Tour de France title.

“The public were amazing. I had goosebumps for at least 40 of the 54 kilometers,” Pinot said. “In fact, I was getting so much encouragement from the side of the road that I couldn't hear in my earpiece what my directeur sportif was saying to me over the radio.

“But I find it quite bizarre that I'm on the podium,” he admitted. “Perhaps it will sink in tomorrow, but tonight [Saturday], I'm finding it difficult to believe what has happened.

“What I do know now, however, is that I am capable of doing the Tour at the level I'd always hoped to, even though I couldn't have imagined being able to do so at the start of this Tour. Can I one day win it? As you can see, Nibali beat me by over eight minutes overall [8], and that's a considerable difference, so there's still a long way for me to go before I'm in a position to think about being able to win,” smiled Pinot.

“[Chris] Froome, [Alberto] Contador and Nibali were supposed to be battling it out for the podium spots this year, but you can never write the script for the Tour de France.”

 

[Cycle Chic]

Silent Ban

Porte can think of one thing and one thing only as the race heads to Paris: a break from racing before he recharges his batteries.....but I think I just need to have a break and then I can come back stronger next year," he told Cyclingnews.

This sounds like a 'Silent Ban' is about to happen.

Be interesting to see just how long he is off the scene.

 

[del1962]

“It was really me against Valverde for a place on the podium,” admitted Pinot. “I'm only 24, and he's older than me [34], so it was perhaps youth that counted in my favour on this occasion, after three weeks of effort.

“As for Jean-Christophe Péraud, I knew that he was going to be hard to beat, and I think I can be satisfied because I didn't lose too much time to him,” continued Pinot. “Plus it means that two French riders have finished on the podium of the Tour de France! So I'm not disappointed at all: 24 years old, third in the Tour de France, and the white jersey, having fought with the best riders in the mountains... I'm very proud.”

Pinot has enjoyed what has been at times almost overwhelming support from the French public, and has confirmed that he is a serious contender for a future Tour de France title.

“The public were amazing. I had goosebumps for at least 40 of the 54 kilometers,” Pinot said. “In fact, I was getting so much encouragement from the side of the road that I couldn't hear in my earpiece what my directeur sportif was saying to me over the radio.

“But I find it quite bizarre that I'm on the podium,” he admitted. “Perhaps it will sink in tomorrow, but tonight [Saturday], I'm finding it difficult to believe what has happened.

“What I do know now, however, is that I am capable of doing the Tour at the level I'd always hoped to, even though I couldn't have imagined being able to do so at the start of this Tour. Can I one day win it? As you can see, Nibali beat me by over eight minutes overall [8], and that's a considerable difference, so there's still a long way for me to go before I'm in a position to think about being able to win,” smiled Pinot.

“[Chris] Froome, [Alberto] Contador and Nibali were supposed to be battling it out for the podium spots this year, but you can never write the script for the Tour de France.”

Perhaps this guy can talk to Brailsford about delivering a measured response.

Mature beyond his years. And very refreshing from the BS coming from Walsh & Sky.

Shame he couldnt understand that Peraud was older than Valverde, anyway he's French so he cant dope

 

[thehog]

This sounds like a 'Silent Ban' is about to happen.

Be interesting to see just how long he is off the scene.

Yes and perhaps some time for reflection. Porte is probably going to do a "Cuengo".