"If that’s how my grand tour journey ends, then that’s just how it is" - Richie Porte on late disappointment at Giro d'Italia

Richie Porte had to abandon the Giro d'Italia during stage 19 due to sickness. This year's Giro was the final Grand Tour of the 37-year-old's 13-year pro career, as he is set to retire at the end of the season.

He wrote, “I knew on the morning of stage 19 at the Giro d’Italia that finishing the stage was probably going to be beyond the realms of possibility." Even when Bora-Hansgrohe was on the front and just controlling the pace rather than doing anything crazy, I knew that it was game over. I was struggling to hold the wheel almost from the start of the stage and to be honest, there wasn’t any hope. With gastro, it doesn’t matter how good your form is; if you’re hit with it then it just wrecks your body for 24 hours.”

“It’s totally different from something like a crash, where you can suffer through the pain because you’ve still got your form and your strength, but with a bug, you can press on the pedals all you want, but it doesn’t do a thing. It’s not a nice place to be. ”

Porte was anticipated to play a major role as teammate Richard Carapaz sought to protect his three-second advantage over Jai Hindley in the general classification. Many experts still debate what result would have beein if Porte had continued the Tour. He went on to praise Jai HIndley for his win. “It’s also nice to see that Jai is getting plenty of credit back home in Australia. I’m an Australian too, and while I’m also an Ineos rider, it’s good to see cycling in the sports pages instead of Aussie rules football, rugby, and other sports. This is a great thing for Australian cycling.”

“I know it didn’t end the way I wanted it to but I still enjoyed the Giro. The team had a great feel, and there was little stress in our camp. If that’s how my grand tour journey ends, then that’s just how it is. I also know that Ineos is a team that’s building for the future. We’ve got so many young guys and seeing them develop has been great to see from inside the team,” he added.

“You just have to look at a guy like Ben Tulett, who had a great Giro. He, and riders like him, are the future of this team going forward. I’m obviously gutted about how the Giro ended, but I’m going to take a load of good memories from the whole experience.” This Giro was the last tour for the Australian as he is set to retire after a successful career spanning 13 years.

“I don’t know what’s next on my calendar but now that Im home, the plan is to just take it easy for a few days. I’m still not 100 percent, and I’ve been looking forward to spending time with the family since I set off for Hungary. After the break, the team and I will look ahead to the second half of the season and set some goals. For now, though, it’s time to sit back and relax. I hope you’ve enjoyed the Giro blogs and thanks for joining me on my final grand tour," he concluded.

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