At the peak of his powers with eight grand tours already to his name, the 30-year-old appears destined to pursue his dreams of individual success elsewhere.

The Launceston rider will play the same loyal support role which assisted victories for Brad Wiggins in 2012 and Chris Froome a year later, but hopes to be back on the start line in 2016 leading a team of his own.

Porte, who is in the last year of his contract with the well-funded British team, said management is aware he is fielding offers.

After four years at Sky, he looms as one of the biggest names in this year's transfer market.

Porte is likely to know the outcome of contract negotiations during the Tour, which is a key period for teams as they decide on rider signings for the next season.

His name has frequently been linked to Orica-GreenEdge, the Australian outfit which is sorely lacking a rider versatile enough to harbour genuine ambitions of grand tour success.

"I'm very confident - I have a few really good offers in great teams," said Porte, whose climbing talents earned victory at Paris-Nice, Volta Catalunya and Giro del Trentino this year having already claimed the Australian time trial title.

Porte knows that if he stays at Sky, he will have minimal chances to lead a grand tour outfit but his pedigree suggests plenty of opportunity elsewhere.

"In any other team, bar three or four, I would actually be the Tour leader," he said.

"But that's certainly something I'm really looking at now."

Porte feels he has served his apprenticeship as a grand tour domestique at both Saxo-Bank and Sky. His latest contract included a clause that he would lead a team in this year's Giro d'Italia.

He went into the tour in May in superb form following three major stage-race wins but his campaign went pear-shaped following a catalogue of misfortune including a bad fall and he withdrew on the second rest day.

"I do have opportunities to go and try my luck in another team," he added.

"The next couple of years, I'm going to be as strong as I physically can be."