Porte predicts Giro d'Italia glory

RichiePorte - Cropped

Team Sky's Richie Porte is convinced his victory at the Giro del Trentino will be ideal preparation for the Giro d'Italia, although he was disappointed more "favourites" bypassed the second-tier race.

Porte comfortably held onto the fuchsia general classification leader's jersey throughout Friday's final stage of the Giro del Trentino to win by 22 seconds from Astana's Mikel Landa, while the Australian's Sky team-mate Leopold Konig claimed third overall.

With Vincenzo Nibali having won the UCI Europe Tour event before claiming the 2013 Giro d'Italia, before Cadel Evans finished eighth last year, following success in Italy's Trentino/South Tyrol region, Porte reckons he is in top shape for a maiden grand tour victory.

"It's always nice to win any race," he told Sky's website.

"It would have been nice if a few more of the Giro favourites were here but you can only race the guys who turn up to race. For me I think it was a fantastic preparation race for the Giro. I'm happy with where I'm at and I felt better each day.

"It's two more weeks until the Giro starts. I can go home, rest, recover and take great confidence in this race as it wasn't easy.

"You look back to two years ago Vincenzo [Nibali] won here. It looks like it is the race to come and do before you go and race the Giro. I'm looking forward to the next few days looking at the decisive stages of the Giro."

Porte has four wins this year heading into the Giro d'Italia, which starts on May 9.

The 30-year-old won Australia's National Time Trial Championships in January, before taking out Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya in March.

Author(s)