"Everything has become a mathematical equation" - Richie Porte on new style of racing in peloton, and how Froome and Pogacar are "psychological beasts"

Richie Porte has retired at the end of last season and he has looked back on some factors of his career, specially looking into the style of racing over the years in the peloton and how it has changed.

"There are aspects of cycling that I won't miss. Cycling is a simple thing; you get on your bike and you turn the pedals. Now, it's as if everything has become a mathematical equation," Porte said in an interview with L'Équipe. "I was never one of those who looked at their power meter too much. I'm against all that."

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"It was tiring to be on the bus and hear young riders talk about carbohydrate and protein levels. I've always been better when I've been a kilo above my supposed race weight, because I felt better;" he continued. With the surge in training methods, racing efficiency and the difference that little details make, cycling has in some ways - more specifically in the mountains - a game of numbers.

Porte was part of INEOS Grenadiers, a team that very much influenced this style of racing from 2012 onwards, however he admits that he was not too fond of it. "You can't deny the human element, the guy who's ready to fight. Take Froome at his best, or Pogacar, these guys are just psychological beasts," he said.

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Nevertheless, Porte has had an incredibly successful career, becoming one of the most prominent stage-racers in the peloton. However he says that it would've been possible to have raced better in the Grand Tours. "Probably, yes. I didn't win a Grand Tour for one reason or another, maybe because I let things affect me too much, maybe I paid too much attention to what people thought of me. I never had the 'win or die' attitude. I like it when people respect you."

"I always had big doubts about my abilities, that's the way I am, I have quite low self-esteem, I never saw myself as one of the best, but when the die was cast, the race was on, and I didn't think too much, I was a pretty good competitor," Porte continued.

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He's talked about someone who is somewhat of an idol in the peloton: "I admire someone like Thibaut Pinot because he's without doubt like myself. Both of us don't like critics, it gets on our nerves, but I never did cycling so that people would like me."

"I never liked social media or sponsorship obligations. That was the worst for me. I stayed friends with everyone at Sky/Ineos. There was still a human side to the team, but I was never the type to weigh my food. If I wanted a burger and a beer, I wasn't going to deprive myself," the Tasmanian explained.

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