Exactly one month from today, Australian rider Richie Porte is expected to make his Tour de France debut and line out at the Passage du Gois for the start of the race.
The 26 year old Tasmanian has just completed his second Giro d’Italia and hopes to recover well, then head to France for the cycling’s top event. His Saxo Bank SunGard Alberto Contador has got the green light from CAS and Tour organisers ASO and, providing he gets over his current fatigue, will go to the Tour as clear leader of the team and aiming for another Tour victory.
“I’ll got to altitiude and just relax, hopefully get ready for the Tour,” he told VeloNation’s Ben Atkins prior to Sunday’s final time trial at the Giro d’Italia.
At that point in time, it wasn’t certain that Contador would get the green light to ride. “Let’s hope [he does],” said Porte. “If not, I’ll go for some stages. Even if he is there, maybe go for some stages…no stress,” he said.
Providing he recovers from the Giro, Porte should be one of Contador’s strongest team-mates in the event. He’s a powerful time trialist, and can also climb well when in form. When it was put to him that perhaps Contador could gift him a stage win at the Tour, much as he did at the Giro with Jose Rujano and Paolo Tiralongo, Porte said that he hoped that situation would occur.
“I actually thought about that, that would be nice,” he smiled. “He got me by one second in Castilla y Leon [beating him in the time trial there], so I think he owes me!”
Porte is a second year professional and is regarded as one of Australian cycling’s biggest talents. He’s still building experience and endurance, but could be one to eventually succeed Cadel Evans as the country’s top Grand Tour rider.
Evans is now 34 years of age and knows that this year could be his final chance to win the race. He gave Porte advice in last year’s Giro and indicated that he would be willing to do so again in the Tour if Contador doesn’t ride. With the Spaniard almost certainly heading to the race, that guidance won’t happen this time round, but may well occur in the future.
That would be even more likely if the two end up on the same team. Evans has said that he’s committed to the BMC Racing Team in 2012, the final year of his contract there but, providing the older Australian continues after that, he and Porte could well join up on the Green EDGE squad.
It’s currently being developed and plans to become Australia’s first ProTeam next year.