Richie Porte - what do we know about him?

[JimmyFingers]

Head of Media Relations at Capital Sports & Entertainment.

My bad. In my defence I usually watch Eurosport so get the Harmon/Kelly double act 'weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell you see when dere's turty or forty riders turty yards up the road, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell you see dere's little chance of bridging the gap'

Love Kelly commentating.

 

[LaFlorecita]

If anything I'm thinking, like Cadel, he's riding clean now

So: Evil Spaniard Alberto Contador stopped doping and now the clean cyclists/sky can win every stage race! This shows who are the real talented cyclists! Without doping Contador is nowhere! The filthy Spaniard has been stealing wins from clean cyclists for years, good riddance, doper, cheat, all hail the clean team, team Sky!

Right?

 

[JimmyFingers]

So: Evil Spaniard Alberto Contador stopped doping and now the clean cyclists/sky can win every stage race! This shows who are the real talented cyclists! Without doping Contador is nowhere! The filthy Spaniard has been stealing wins from clean cyclists for years, good riddance, doper, cheat, all hail the clean team, team Sky!

Right?

Not what I was saying or implying, don't put words into my mouth. I thought the stage was generally encouraging for the state of the sport.

 

[will10]

For a 13' effort, it is exceptionnaly allowed
Anyway, that's a huge difference compared to 2009, thanks to the biopassport ?

The biopassport has been in use since 2008.

 

[peterst6906]

So: Evil Spaniard Alberto Contador stopped doping and now the clean cyclists/sky can win every stage race! This shows who are the real talented cyclists! Without doping Contador is nowhere! The filthy Spaniard has been stealing wins from clean cyclists for years, good riddance, doper, cheat, all hail the clean team, team Sky!

Right?

You either need to take less pills, or more. I'm not sure which, but I'm sure it's one of those two options.

It was much more pleasant when you were a pure fan, rather than a discouraged one.

I for one think Contador will be on the podium this year. His biggest challenge to being on the top step isn't his own ability to perform, it will be the level of support from his own team, in comparison to the Sky train support for Froome.

Either way, should be a good race (at least for 19 or so days until it's decided) and I'm of the view he is clean at the moment. He just also has a lot of talent (but not enough to be a 1 man team against Sky).

 

[JimmyFingers]

An addendum to the point above, Contador is probably going down the traditional method of racing to train and tapering that to peak in July. I seriously doubt what we see of him on the road at the moment will be the same Contador we'll see on French roads in July. Porte is having a break out season, and one I think he deserves, but it certainly doesn't make him the equal of Contador all of a sudden.

 

[peterst6906]

An addendum to the point above, Contador is probably going down the traditional method of racing to train and tapering that to peak in July. I seriously doubt what we see of him on the road at the moment will be the same Contador we'll see on French roads in July. Porte is having a break out season, and one I think he deserves, but it certainly doesn't make him the equal of Contador all of a sudden.

I agree. I expect AC to be better in July.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Not what I was saying or implying, don't put words into my mouth. I thought the stage was generally encouraging for the state of the sport.

I'm sorry, I just thought that was the general consensus among the sky fans. Other riders stopped doping so now sky can dominate! It's an easy way to explain sky's dominance.

Encouraging for the state of the sport yes from anglo pov maybe

 

[LaFlorecita]

You either need to take less pills, or more. I'm not sure which, but I'm sure it's one of those two options.

It was much more pleasant when you were a pure fan, rather than a discouraged one.

I for one think Contador will be on the podium this year. His biggest challenge to being on the top step isn't his own ability to perform, it will be the level of support from his own team, in comparison to the Sky train support for Froome.

Either way, should be a good race (at least for 19 or so days until it's decided) and I'm of the view he is clean at the moment. He just also has a lot of talent (but not enough to be a 1 man team against Sky).

You must be mistaken, I am completely calm and frankly quite amused. Got loads of pop corn over here and I'm enjoying the freak show.

 

[JimmyFingers]

I'm not very partisan with my opinions: I do support Sky and British riders but I also admire Contador and enjoy watching him ride. It's hard not to.

For me cycling isn't football, I don't have emnity towards particular teams or riders, although there are a few who I like less than others, for example Thor Hushvod and Valverde, but I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt unless I walk in on them with a needle in their arm

 

[Ripper]

I'm not very partisan with my opinions: I do support Sky and British riders but I also admire Contador and enjoy watching him ride. It's hard not to.

For me cycling isn't football, I don't have emnity towards particular teams or riders, although there are a few who I like less than others, for example Thor Hushvod and Valverde, but I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt unless I walk in on them with a needle in their arm

Thor is the super-enigma right now. Will he be there in P-R? It should be an interesting weekend.

 

[leon7766]

I'm not very partisan with my opinions: I do support Sky and British riders but I also admire Contador and enjoy watching him ride. It's hard not to.

Hes been caught cheating though surely that negates anything he has acheived

 

[JimmyFingers]

Hes been caught cheating though surely that negates anything he has acheived

It doesn't mean he's not enjoyable to watch. There isn't just black and white, there's lots of shades and hues out there.

Plus certainly at the moment he looks to be riding clean or a lot cleaner than he has done in the past.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Hes been caught cheating though surely that negates anything he has acheived

you're a funny lad

 

[Ferminal]

Levi must be furious that Contador cheated him out of a GT win.

 

[BYOP88]

So Porte fans, you must be hoping that Porte takes time out of Contador today?

I just ask because the ITT specialist Porte have never beaten Contador in an ITT.

 

[LaFlorecita]

So Porte fans, you must be hoping that Porte takes time out of Contador today?

I just ask because the ITT specialist Porte have never beaten Contador in an ITT.

Watch the borg crush Alberto tomorrow. I guess the gap will be 30 seconds at least

 

[JimmyFingers]

So Porte fans, you must be hoping that Porte takes time out of Contador today?

I just ask because the ITT specialist Porte have never beaten a clean Contador in an ITT.

Ftfy

10 char

 

[Gloin22]

Considering Contador is sucking in this race ( for his standards - he used to win every race he entered few years ago )

And Porte is top class rider who has shown he has brilliant ITT.

How would Porte beating Contador be surprsing ???

I expect likes of Peraud to beat Contador in this ITT as well..

 

[BYOP88]

Ftfy

10 char

You think. Nice Sky style deflection there by you fingers.You on the PR team?

 

[BYOP88]

Considering Contador is sucking in this race ( for his standards - he used to win every race he entered few years ago )

And Porte is top class rider who has shown he has brilliant ITT.

How would Porte beating Contador be surprsing ???

I expect likes of Peraud to beat Contador in this ITT as well..

Where has he(Richieborg) shown that he has a brilliant ITT?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Considering Contador is sucking in this race ( for his standards - he used to win every race he entered few years ago )

And Porte is top class rider who has shown he has brilliant ITT.

How would Porte beating Contador be surprsing ???

I expect likes of Peraud to beat Contador in this ITT as well..

It wouldn't surprise anyone - that's the sad/hilarious part

 

[Gloin22]

It wouldn't surprise anyone - that's the sad/hilarious part

Considering Contador can't even follow other names up the climbs at Pais Vasco. It's not really.

 

[Afrank]

Where has he(Richieborg) shown that he has a brilliant ITT?

In his first year in PRT, Geelong TT world championships in 2010.

 

[infeXio]

Porte just motoring away from the rest, yes, so credible