Porte’s life a ‘bloody nightmare’

THE Tour de France goes for 21 days, but Richie Porte won’t be able to walk for another 30.

For the next month, the 32year-old will be trapped in a body more befitting of a 90year-old.

The transformation from Tour de France favourite to badly injured dependent couldn’t be more sudden or cruel.

Confined to a wheelchair and unable to leave the house, the reminders of one of the worst crashes in Tour history line his body — fractured collarbone, fractured hip, cuts and bruises.

Physically and mentally, the pain is still raw.

“Not being able to walk is the hard one to take,” Porte ( pictured) said. “I can’t use crutches like you normally would and I can use a wheelchair at home, but I can’t really get out of the house which is the worst thing about it.

“I’m stuck. I just can’t do anything. I also took quite a lot of skin off which makes sleeping pretty uncomfortable.”

If bravery in cycling is underrated, then the legacy of Porte’s horror smash should be that men and women in his line of work are willing to pay the price.

When Porte’s coach went back through the data from his bike computer he found Porte was doing 78km/h when he lost control, skidded across the road and into a rock wall where he collided with trailing Irishman Dan Martin.

“It’s not like you’d happily jump out of a car going that fast so it was obviously a fair old impact. In some way I feel lucky to get away with the injuries I have,” Porte said.

“The physio and rehabilitation starts next week, but then I also need a nurse for the stitches because my cuts and abrasions are so deep. It’s just an absolute bloody nightmare, to be honest.”

He was considered a favourite for the Tour de France. Then, it was gone.

“It’s just a massive disappointment. One minute you’re in the form of your life and the next minute you’re in an ambulance on the way to hospital,” Porte said.