Richie Porte says headwind stopped him taking more time at Tour Down Under
The Australian said he would have liked to put more time into rival Daryl Impey
Richie Porte has started 2020 with a bang as usual.
The Trek-Segafredo leader blasted his rivals on the testing Torrens Hill Road climb at the Tour Down Under, taking valuable time and the race lead in his pursuit of the overall title.
But the home favourite says he would have liked to put more time into reigning champion Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott), but that a bruising headwind slowed his attack.
Speaking after victory on stage three, Porte said: “I felt good at the bottom of the climb and got a bit of a gap there. It was a shame it was such a headwind in the finale as I think we could have done some real damage.
“I had to go when I went even with the headwind – there was nothing else you could do but get a decent gap. I would have liked to have taken a little more time on Daryl, and I think I lost a bit of time there [when the road flattened] in the last 300 metres.”
Stage three of the 2020 edition of the Tour Down Under, from Unley to Paracombe, has been described as the Queen’s stage of the race, owing to the final 1.2km, nine per cent average final climb to the line.
Porte has previous form on this climb, winning the stage back in 2017 when he went on to take the overall title.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Despite Porte’s stage winning success in the Tour Down Under, it’s Daryl Impey who is the marked man for the overall, after the South African won the previous two editions of the race.
Porte will be looking to smash the final Willunga Hill stage of this year’s race, continuing his streak of six wins on this particular climb.
>>> Richie Porte posts Strava data from commanding Tour Down Under stage victory
Porte added: “Daryl is still the man to beat, I think. Historically [Paracombe] has been the queen stage, but two more stages before Willunga – the race is not over yet.
“There’s time bonuses on the road as well, and I expect that Mitchelton will go for that.
“You have to take the victories when you can and I will savour this one. I’m happy to get the win today for the team. The thing is I felt good and that bodes well for the next few days.”
Porte leads the race by just six seconds over Impey, with Robert Power trailing in third at nine seconds.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Mathieu van der Poel dominates in Leuven to win Gravel World Championships
Dutchman solos to victory after dominant performance in the Flemish Brabant
By Joseph Lycett Published
-
'I would like to go to America and experience it': Conor Swift talks gravel racing tactics and bike tech ahead of the UCI Gravel World Championships
The Brit hopes to score a result at World Champs today, but hinted that racing further afield could be a possibility in future
By Joe Baker Published