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Australian cyclist Richie Porte describes his third-place finish in the Tour de France as a dream come true.

Australian cyclist Richie Porte is savouring his Tour de France podium finish as a "dream come true".

But reality, and domestic duties, await the Tasmanian after finishing third in cycling's showpiece.

Porte will soon return to his Monaco home and, as his wife Gemma puts it, have "nappies to change".

The 35-year-old Porte missed the birth of his second child, Eloise, on September 4 while racing around France en route to becoming the second Australian to finish on the podium in Paris.

Compatriot Cadel Evans won in 2011 and was runner-up in 2007 and 2008.

"To see everyone else finally see what you could see all along and watch those dreams realised is oh so sweet!", Gemma posted on Twitter.

"Enjoy every second on that podium ... then hurry up home, you've got shitty nappies to change."

But the nappies can wait for a little while as Porte basks in his podium-finish glory.

"It's a great feeling, a dream come true to be honest," he said.

"To stand on the podium in Paris is just unbelievable ... it's a moment I will savour for the rest of my life.

"This result just caps everything off.

"I have had some bad luck over the years so it's finally nice to have a three-week race where everything goes to plan."

Porte's previous Tour de France tilts have been marred by misfortune.

In 2014, he was cruelled by pneumonia.

In 2016, a puncture and collision with a motorbike caused him to lose precious time. He finished fifth, his previous best Tour de France result.

In 2017, he was within 30 seconds of the lead when involved in a horror crash which left him in hospital with a broken pelvis and collarbone.

In 2018, he again crashed out, and again broke a collarbone, in another tangle.

In 2019, he was perched in 10th spot when landslides and wicked weather forced the tour to be shortened. He finished 11th.

But this year, Porte produced arguably his greatest time trial in the penultimate stage.

He began the time trial some 99 seconds from third place.

The Launceston-born cyclist produced the ride of his life, covering 36.2km in just 57 minutes and 16 seconds - third in the stage - to take third on the podium.

"The time trial was one of the best I have done in my career," he said.

"It has just been such a journey. I am just so happy to finally be on the podium of a Grand Tour."

Porte will leave Trek-Segrafredo at the end of this season and most likely will return to Ineos, where he rode from 2012-15 when the team was known as Sky.

He will happily return to a role there as a super domestique, rather than trying to contend overall in the Grand Tours.

"There's no secret I will be leaving Trek-Segafredo, but the way they've gotten around me has been fantastic," he said.

"I'm 35, I don't want the stress anymore - I'd like to go and help younger guys."