Gallery: Riding with Chris Froome and Richie Porte

'IT'S living up to its reputation."

This was Chris Froome's reflection on his Tasmanian adventure after taking up teammate Richie Porte's invitation to come and train in his home state.

"What Richie said wasn't just a tall story to get me down here!" added the 2013 Tour de France champion whose appearance in this month's Launceston Cycling Classic has been compared with Serena Williams playing the Hobart International, Jack Nicklaus winning the Australian Open at Royal Hobart and Don Bradman gracing the NTCA Ground.

Froome's presence here is indeed on a par with that illustrious company.

As the Classic's commentator Matt Keenan told his live TV audience: "Sydney and Melbourne are struggling to get bike races on, but Launceston gets the winner of the Tour de France."

Froome's 400,000 social media followers the world over will know that his time in the state has also included such iconic destinations as Hobart's Mount Wellington, Freycinet National Park, Launceston's City Park, Narawntapu National Park, Tasmania's V8 Supercar venue Symmons Plains, Porte's home town of Hadspen and fellow cyclist Will Clarke's majestic Campbell Town estate.

Tasmania's investment in securing Froome has been repaid many times over.

This was the man who was only prevented from claiming the iconic BBC sports personality of the year following his Tour victory by Andy Murray finally ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon champion.

But the 29-year-old Team Sky leader is the first to admit it's been a two-way street, saying he has gained as much from the visit as the state has from having him.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with The Examiner after tackling another iconic Tasmanian route — the Sideling between Scottsdale and Launceston — Froome opened up about his friendship with Porte, his concerns for the 2015 Tour de France, his motivations and inspirations.

"That whole route we did today was beautiful," he said.

"The Sideling was an amazing climb, it's not like the climbs in Europe which have a lot of switchbacks on them. This was beautiful in a different way, winding up the hill into the forest which was just getting greener and greener the higher you went.

"It had an amazing backdrop and I think Richie's very lucky to have those kind of roads to train on so close to home.

"It's not too different to some of the smaller rural areas of South Africa. That ride we did today reminds me of an area called Tzaneen, just undulating hilly area with a lot of greenery and forestry."

Froome and Porte joined a group that included fellow pros Matt Goss, Bernie Sulzberger and Georgia Baker, but it spoke volumes that the cycling world's most sought-after signature chose to tackle the winding climb alongside 39-year-old Launceston psychiatrist George Hyde, fresh from his win in the masters race at the Classic.

"It was interesting what he thinks about the mental aspect of racing," Froome recalled. "There's a huge psychological aspect to what we do and I think George recognised that."

Born with English ancestry in Nairobi, Froome moved to South Africa at the age of 14 and said that is where he would normally escape from the European winter for pre-season training and where he recently married long-time partner Michelle Cound.

Froome's record in cycling's big three Grand Tours is very impressive and where he expects each annual campaign to be judged.

Since 2011, he has finished second, fourth and second in the Vuelta a Espana and second and first in the Tour de France, his only blemish coming earlier this year when his Tour defence was derailed by rain-soaked Belgian cobblestones.

The Champs Elysees will again be his chief target in a fresh campaign that began on the equally-drenched tarmac of St John Street, Launceston.

Aside from the dismal weather on the day of the Classic, Froome said he had enjoyed his introduction to Tasmania and even hinted at possible returns.

"It's been great being able to get out and ride roads that are always undulating, making you work hard pretty much all the way.

"Through the association with Richie I think everyone knows about our friendship. Tasmanians have all been pretty welcoming and happy to have me down here and that's reciprocated.

"It's great for me to come and give back to my mate who helps me out a lot during the season.

"We do a lot of our training and preparation together so it's nice to come and see his home. It's the kind of place I'd like to come to in the off-season."