The 32-year-old Tasmanian is seeking to become the sixth three-time winner of the week-long stage race that begins at the traditional end point of the Tour de France and concludes just a short ride away from his European home.

Dating back to 1933, Paris-Nice remains the most prestigious WorldTour stage race outside the three Grand Tours and if Porte can add to his successes in 2013 and ’15 he will join such cycling royalty as Eddy Merckx, Laurent Jalabert, Joop Zoetemelk and Sean Kelly as triple winners.

Having begun his season with a long overdue victory in South Australia’s Tour Down Under, Porte sits atop the world rankings and can’t wait to lead BMC into the 1227-kilometre, eight-stage race.

"Tour Down Under was a big goal but I want to win Paris-Nice. It’s a race I’m easily motivated for,” he said.

“It’s still the biggest race I’ve won so feels like my home event

“It finishes so close to Monaco and one of the stages goes within five kilometres of home.”

While his Tour de France nemesis and former Team Sky leader Chris Froome will be absent, Porte will come up against a glittering field in the 75th edition of the Race to the Sun.

Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), Sylvain Chavenel (Direct Energie), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Simon Gerrans (Orica-Scott), Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors), Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data), Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) and his former Saxobank teammate Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) are all listed on the provisional start list.

The only Australian winner in the race’s lengthy history, Porte will have the support of Swiss pair Michael Schär and Danilo Wyss plus Italian Alessandro De Marchi, Frenchman Amaël Moinard, Irishman Nicolas Roche, Belgian Dylan Teuns and Spaniard Francisco Ventoso.

“There’s no time trial up Col d’Èze but we’ve still got the one to Mont-Brouilly,” Porte told Cyclingnews.

"Alberto is clearly super motivated with his new team and he was pretty good at Ruta del Sol.

“Then with Bardet, I’ve not seen much of him yet but I’m sure I will at Paris-Nice.

"As for me, I’ve taken it easy but that’s been good because I feel a lot fresher now that I’ve started training again. I still rode my bike and did a bit of swimming but just didn’t have such a strict regime with the diet."

I wouldn’t say that I’m in my top condition yet but I still think that there’s time.”

Now fully recovered from the broken scapula he suffered at the Olympic Games, Porte expects to follow the traditional Tour lead-in schedule of Catalunya, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine.

After four WorldTour races in 2017, Porte leads the rankings on 672 points, 350 clear of Colombian Esteban Chaves (Orica-Scott)

He hasn't raced since the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in January and expects to reach his optimum weight of 58kg in time for the Tour de France in July.

The route for Paris-Nice features its highest ever summit finish on the penultimate stage up the 1678-metre Col de la Couillole.