Richie Porte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Richie Porte

Porte at the 2017 Paris–Nice
Personal information
Full name	Richard Julian Porte
Nickname	Tasmanian Devil Fish The King of Willunga Hill
Born	(1985-01-30) 30 January 1985 (age 40) Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight	62 kg (137 lb; 9 st 11 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	All-rounder
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 TTT stage (2018) Giro d'Italia Young rider classification (2010) Stage races Paris–Nice (2013, 2015) Volta a Catalunya (2015) Tour de Romandie (2017) Tour de Suisse (2018) Critérium du Dauphiné (2021) Tour Down Under (2017, 2020) Giro del Trentino (2015) Volta ao Algarve (2012) Single-day races and Classics National Time Trial Championships (2015)

Richard Julian Porte (born 30 January 1985) is an Australian former professional road bicycle racer. He competed from 2008 to 2022. Richie is known for winning eight major stage races. These include Paris–Nice (twice), Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie, Tour Down Under (twice), Tour de Suisse, and Critérium du Dauphiné. He also finished third in the 2020 Tour de France, which is one of the biggest cycling races in the world.

About Richie Porte

Richie Porte was born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, in 1985. He went to St Patrick's College, Launceston. There's even a sports award named after him at his old school. It goes to the best athlete in Year 9 every year. When he races, Richie often wears a necklace shaped like Tasmania. This shows how proud he is of his home state. After living in Europe for many years, Richie moved back to Tasmania in 2023 after he stopped racing professionally.

Richie's Cycling Journey

Starting Out in Cycling

Richie Porte didn't start cycling seriously until he was 21 years old in 2006. Before that, he was a competitive swimmer. He also took part in triathlons starting in 2003. In 2008, he raced in the 2008 Tour Down Under and finished ninth overall. He then joined a Tasmanian team called Praties. With them, he won the Tours of Perth and Tasmania. In 2009, he raced for an Italian amateur team. He won an individual time trial at the Baby Giro. This win helped him get noticed by bigger professional teams.

First Big Wins (2010-2011)

Richie Porte wearing the white jersey at the 2010 Giro d'Italia.

In 2010, Richie joined Team Saxo Bank. His coach was fellow Australian, Bradley McGee. In April, Richie won a stage at the 2010 Tour de Romandie. He finished tenth overall in that race. In May, he raced in his first major Grand Tour, the 2010 Giro d'Italia. He finished seventh overall and won the young rider classification. This showed everyone he was a talented rider for the future. He even wore the famous pink jersey for three stages! Later that year, he almost won a bronze medal in the time trial at the World Championships. He finished fourth, very close to the top three.

In 2011, Richie became a key helper, known as a domestique, for his team leader, Alberto Contador. He helped Contador win the 2011 Giro d'Italia. Richie continued to show his strength in time trials. He finished third in the time trial at 2011 Paris–Nice. He also won a time trial stage at the Post Danmark Rundt.

Joining Team Sky (2012-2015)

Richie Porte at the 2012 Tour de France.

Richie joined Team Sky in 2012. He quickly showed his skills. In February, he won the 2012 Volta ao Algarve race in Portugal. He then became a very important helper for Bradley Wiggins. He helped Wiggins win several big races, including the 2012 Tour de Romandie, the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné, and the 2012 Tour de France.

Richie Porte in the leader's jersey at the 2013 Paris–Nice.

In 2013, Richie got his chance to lead Team Sky in the 2013 Paris–Nice race. He won a mountain stage and the final time trial. This helped him win the race overall! He also finished second overall in the 2013 Critérium International and the 2013 Tour of the Basque Country. He was a "super-domestique" for Chris Froome in the 2013 Tour de France. This means he was a very strong helper who could also win races himself. He helped Froome win the Tour de France.

Richie Porte at the 2013 Tour de France.

The 2014 season was tough for Richie. He got sick with pneumonia and had to end his season early. Despite this, he still managed to win a stage at the 2014 Tour Down Under. He also finished second overall at the Vuelta a Andalucía.

In 2015, Richie had a fantastic start to the season. He won the Australian National Time Trial Championships. He also won stages and overall titles at 2015 Paris–Nice, 2015 Volta a Catalunya, and 2015 Giro del Trentino. He was the first rider ever to win all three of these races in one season!

During the 2015 Giro d'Italia, Richie faced some bad luck. He had a flat tire and accepted a wheel from a rider on another team. This is against the rules, so he got a time penalty. He also had a crash and a leg injury, which made him leave the race early. Despite this, he still played a key role in the 2015 Tour de France. He helped Chris Froome win his second Tour de France title. After this, Richie decided to leave Team Sky to become a team leader himself.

Leading BMC Racing Team (2016-2018)

Richie Porte at the 2016 Tour de France, racing against his former teammate Chris Froome.

From 2016 to 2018, Richie raced for BMC Racing Team. He continued his strong performances. In 2016, he won a stage at the 2016 Tour Down Under for the third year in a row. He finished second overall in that race. He also finished fifth overall in the 2016 Tour de France, his best result in that race so far.

In 2017, Richie won the 2017 Tour Down Under and the 2017 Tour de Romandie. He was in a great position at the 2017 Tour de France, but he crashed badly on a downhill section and had to leave the race.

In 2018, he won the 2018 Tour de Suisse. He also finished second at the 2018 Tour Down Under. Sadly, he crashed out of the 2018 Tour de France again on stage 9, breaking his collarbone.

Trek–Segafredo and Tour de France Podium (2019-2020)

Richie joined Trek–Segafredo in 2019. He won a stage at the 2019 Tour Down Under for the sixth year in a row! In the 2019 Tour de France, he finished eleventh overall.

The 2020 season was a big one for Richie. He won the 2020 Tour Down Under for the second time. Then, at the 2020 Tour de France, he achieved his first-ever podium finish in a Grand Tour! He finished third overall. This was a huge achievement and the first time an Australian had been on the Tour de France podium since Cadel Evans won in 2011. For this amazing year, Richie was awarded the Sir Hubert Opperman Medal, which is a top cycling award in Australia.

Ineos Grenadiers and Retirement (2021-2022)

In 2021, Richie joined Ineos Grenadiers. He continued to show his strength, finishing second overall in the 2021 Volta a Catalunya and the 2021 Tour de Romandie. He then won the 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné. He raced in the 2021 Tour de France, helping his teammate Richard Carapaz finish third. After this race, Richie announced it would be his last Tour de France.

In 2022, Richie had top-ten finishes at the 2022 Tirreno–Adriatico and the 2022 Tour of the Alps. His final race was the 2022 Tour of Britain in September. After that, he retired from professional cycling.

Richie Porte's Major Race Results

Here are some of Richie Porte's most important results during his career:

Richie's Grand Tour Results Over the Years

This table shows how Richie Porte finished in the biggest cycling races, called Grand Tours, each year.

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Giro d'Italia	7	80	—	—	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	DNF
Tour de France	—	72	34	19	23	48	5	DNF	DNF	11	3	38	—
Vuelta a España	—	—	68	—	—	—	—	—	84	—	—	—	—
Major stage race general classification results
Race	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Paris–Nice	DNF	22	68	1	—	1	3	11	—	—	41	DNF	—
Tirreno–Adriatico	—	—	—	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4
Volta a Catalunya	—	—	DNF	—	DNF	1	4	—	—	38	NH	2	DNF
Tour of the Basque Country	—	127	—	2	—	—	—	—	DNF	—		—	—
Tour de Romandie	10	121	4	8	DNF	—	DNF	1	3	—		2	—
Critérium du Dauphiné	—	—	9	2	22	—	4	2	—	11	15	1	—
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	NH	—	—

See also

In Spanish: Richie Porte para niños