Richie Porte’s plan of overcoming any lingering demons from that fall is all but confident entering into the Tour Down Under as warm favourite.
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The 31-year-old will end a five-month sabbatical on the road at Adelaide’s acclaimed race that starts on Tuesday.
“It’s certainly going to be a shock to the system,” he said over his return to the bike.
The opening day of the 2017 UCI World Tour will be Porte’s first competitive ride since crashing out of the Rio Olympics road race.
Famous vision of Porte left wincing in pain on the side of the road ended with the Launceston cyclist being hospitalised with a broken shoulder blade.
Porte’s absence at last weekend’s Australian road titles has now left a degree of uncertainty that the Down Under runner-up of the last two years readily admits.
“I guess you can’t do much to change luck, can you?” Porte said.
“But, I just hope this year, I’m more on the end of things going right for me - that’s all I ask.”
But Hadspen’s Porte hopes the contest against a strong 2017 field will assist him in setting lofty new goals.
It’s certainly going to be a shock to the system
- Launceston champion cyclist Richie Porte on his return
He is not only bidding for a career-defining Tour Down Under win, but for the race to leapfrog Porte’s progression to crack open wide the Tour de France. “I’d love to win this race,” Porte said.
“Adelaide in January – when you get to Paris-Nice and it’s rain and snow, you think back to two months earlier, being in Australia, and it’s a pleasure to race your bike every day.”
Australian star sprinter Caleb Ewan had the perfect dress rehearsal to Adelaide, winning the People’s Choice Classic on Sunday evening. - with AAP