6 RICHIE PORTE BMC RACING TEAM

Porte’s largely serene progress through 2017 belies his long history of mishaps, accidents, off days and mechanicals in Grand Tours. It’s been almost perfect, save for getting caught out (along with a lot of riders) by the crosswinds of stage two of Paris-Nice, a lapse made up for within the week by a solo stage win on the Col de la Couillole. His season got off to a good start when he won two stages and the GC of the Tour Down Under. He was a convincing winner at the Tour de Romandie – he was outsprinted for the stage win at Leysin by Simon Yates but he easily dispatched the Brit in the final-day TT. All of Porte’s wins this season have come at WorldTour level – he hasn’t quite matched Valverde’s consistency and versatility, but he’s showing ominous signs of a convincing tilt at the Tour.