Richie Porte battling on in Tour de France despite chest infection
Richie Porte aims to finish Tour de France despite illness and time loss
Sky's Richie Porte will continue in the Tour de France despite losing time in the mountain stages on Friday and Saturday, and a chest infection.
"It's the Tour de France, the goal is to get to Paris. Even yesterday, when I wasn't great, I still made it in before the gruppetto, so it's realistic to try and finish the race," Porte said.
"The goals have changed now and it as good to see 'G' [Geraint Thomas] and 'Frosty' [Nieve] out there flying the Sky flag. In the last three mountain stages, those guys can do the same job."
Porte, 29 from Australia, fell from second to 16th overall at 11-11 minutes in the Chamrousse stage on Friday. On Saturday, he lost an additional 4-52 minutes to race leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).
Overnight, he explained that he had to take antibiotics for a chest infection. The sickness may have cost him, but he added that he was not trying to find excuses.
"The last week hasn't been great but in the last few days. I've started a second course of antibiotics. It's not really ideal but the race goes on. I'm trying to get through the best I can and into the rest day," Porte said.
"It's not ideal but I'm not trying to make to make excuses but my health hasn't been great. At the end of the day, not all is lost. The Pyrenees stages are an opportunity and I hope to get through there and have another go."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Porte took over Sky's leadership in the race after Chris Froome crashed and abandoned in the fifth stage to Arenberg.
The simple message that turned Richie Porte's season around
Richie Porte tumbles from Tour de France top 10
'Bad day' costs Richie Porte his place in the top 10 overall as Sky refocuses on stage wins
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
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Tweets of the week: Brutal weather at Flèche, an idiot sandwich and is there a new POC helmet?
There's a lot of love for Kasia Niewiadoma, and it turns out Norwegians are good in bad weather
By Adam Becket Published
-
Juanpe López wins Tour of the Alps, does 34 kick-ups with a football
'My coach said to do it for Betis,' says Spaniard of his boyhood football club
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘It doesn’t change anything’ - Tom Pidcock’s coach on Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche
Kurt Bogaerts says the pressure is off for Pidcock as he looks to defend the title he emphatically won last year
By Tom Thewlis Published