3 minute read
Richie Porte and Caleb Ewan head a powerful 10-strong contingent of Aussie riders set to make a mark a decade on from Cadel Evans' historic Tour de France win.
Nothing could be more fitting to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cadel Evans winning the Tour de France than a parade of gifted Australian riders making their own distinctive mark on the 2021 edition of the world's greatest cycle race.
"We've got 10 really good Australian professionals who are all here to do something in this Tour de France, to really show themselves," Team BikeExchange's Michael Matthews declared on Thursday, pondering how Evans' unique 2011 triumph helped inspire a new generation.
On that historic grand tour, still the only one ever to be won by an Aussie, a hungry Tasmanian called Richie Porte on his Tour de France debut was working for Alberto Contador, but couldn't help savouring a bigger picture.
"To see a fellow Australian win, it was an absolute privilege to have ridden that race," recalled Porte fondly, when asked by AAP for his memories as he relaxed before the 108th edition kicks off from Brest on Saturday.
Now the elder statesman of the sport in Australia, Porte is hugely impressed by the domestic talent he now sees in the peloton after the 2020 race saw just him and Caleb Ewan take part.
"I think Lucas Hamilton's a massive talent, who'll go on to win some big races," he said of domestic outfit BikeExchange's chosen general classification leader.
"Same with Jack Haig and Ben O'Connor (the respective GC leaders for the Bahrain Victorious and AG2R Citroen teams). The GC talent Australia's producing is really quite impressive and exciting for the future."
And nothing's quite as exciting as the prospect of Lotto Soudal's "pocket rocket" Ewan shooting for up to six stage wins and moving closer to his dream of taking at least one victory in each of the grand tours this year, following his brief but glorious Giro d'Italia pyrotechnics.
Matthews, too, believes "there's going to be a few stage wins along the way" for his compatriots - and 30-year-old "Bling" is in the mood to make sure he's among them as he seeks Tour win number four.
Yet, ultimately, most interest still focuses on Porte himself. He's supposed to be a super-domestique slaving for his Team Ineos Grenadiers pal Geraint Thomas, yet such has been his stellar year following last year's third place finish, can he still dream of yellow?
"I'm 36 now, and it's been a dream last year for me, the results I've had (topped by winning the prestigious Criterium du Dauphine)," said Porte.
"I'm still enjoying being back here (having rejoined his old team Sky, now rebranded Ineos, last year) and I guess we'll take it one day at a time," he added with a shrug, effectively giving away nothing.
Ineos have such an extraordinarily strong outfit, featuring three grand tour winners - Thomas, Richard Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart - and can deploy their riches in so many ways that team principal Dave Brailsford reckons rivals have to "expect the unexpected".
Porte's an honourable figure and reckons he's indebted to Welshman Thomas, who worked flat out to help him win the Dauphine. "I owe him and that's my plan," he says steadfastly.
However, Porte, who four years ago on a treacherous descent saw his own Tour victory bid broken along with his collar bone and pelvis in a 70kmh crash, knows better than anyone about the need for plans B and C.
Primoz Roglic, last year's runner-up, and dazzling champion Tadej Pogacar are the two Slovenians who'll start as outstanding favourites but it's Ineos who have the numbers and the power to wreak havoc in the mountains.
As Porte noted with a smile: "Roglic and Pogacar can't chase everything, can they?" There's still a bit of the devil in the Tasmanian, one suspects.
AUSTRALIANS ON DUTY AT THE 2021 TOUR DE FRANCE
Team BikeExchange: Lucas Hamilton, Michael Matthews, Luke Durbridge
AG2R Citroen: Ben O'Connor
Bahrain Victorious: Jack Haig
Lotto Soudal: Caleb Ewan, Harry Sweeny
Qhubeka Assos: Simon Clarke
Ineos Grenadiers: Richie Porte
Groupama-FDJ: Miles Scotson
