Inside Richie Porte's Giro d'Italia motorhome

Exclusive shots of the motorhome Team Sky's Richie Porte is sleeping in as he takes on the 2015 Giro d'Italia. Photos by Graham Watson

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

(Image credit: Watson)

Richie Porte and Team Sky have allowed cameras into the motorhome that the Australian is using as his base during his assault on the 2015 Giro d'Italia.

Team Sky leader Porte is sleeping in a motorhome - a recreational vehicle (RV) - for the duration of the race, with the vehicle parked up in the car park of the team's hotel. The idea is that Porte will be relieved of the stress of having to sleep in a different hotel every night, and avoid picking up illnesses. Porte joins the rest of the team at every other time, including meals.

"It's like a sanctuary, it's such a big thing to be in the same bed, in the same environment every morning," said Porte. "I've been sleeping really well."

Other teams have said they will not be replicating the idea due to the expense and inconvenience, but Porte thinks that may change with time. Sky's 'marginal gains' attention to small details during big events has netted criticism from other teams in the past, only for those teams to adopt the same principles shortly afterwards.

"Probably in a few years time, everyone will have RVs," said Porte.

The British WorldTour squad will assess the benefits of using a motorhome for its team leader ahead of the Tour de France, where the experiment may be repeated for Chris Froome.

Porte is using a Fleetwood Excursion motorhome registered in Britain. The model is around eight years old, and retails for around £130,000 in the UK - some way short of the £1million that some have reported.

Porte is currently third overall at the Giro d'Italia as the race reaches it first rest day. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) leads the race 22 seconds ahead of Porte, with Fabio Aru (Astana) in second place, three seconds behind Contador.

>>> Richie Porte sleeping in a motorhome at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

Richie Porte in his RV: One side of the vehicle includes a table and seating area for work for eating
(Image credit: Watson)

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

The double bedroom has plenty of cupboard space and provides familiar surroundings for each day of the race
(Image credit: Watson)

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

Large TV above the driver and passenger seats, which can be swivelled around
(Image credit: Watson)

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

The motorhome is kitted out to a high standard, similar to a hotel suite
(Image credit: Watson)

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

The bathroom features a large shower
(Image credit: Watson)

>>> Team Sky's rivals dismissive of Richie Porte's Giro d'Italia motorhome

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

Porte relaxing on the leather sofa, just behind you can see a small kitchen area
(Image credit: Watson)

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

Porte's motorhome is a Fleetwood Excursion model and has extendable sections to increase the living area inside
(Image credit: Watson)

The mobile home of Richie Porte at the 2015 Giro d'Italia

The motorhome, made around 2007, is registered in Britain
(Image credit: Watson)

 

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.