Tour de France star Richie Porte to spearhead new ‘festival of cycling’ in Adelaide next month

The Tour Down Under has been cancelled but Richie Porte racing in Adelaide has not. The Tour de France star will headline the Santos Festival of Cycling.

Richie Porte is headlining the Santos Festival of Cycling in Adelaide in January. Picture: Sarah Reed.

Australia’s best cyclist and the king of Willunga Hill Richie Porte is coming back to Adelaide to race in January.

The two-time Tour Down Under winner and defending champion will headline the Santos Festival of Cycling, which is replacing the season-opening WorldTour TDU that has been cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Porte, who finished third in this year’s Tour de France, will ride for the Australian national Team in the four-stage national road series race from January 21-24 which includes a hill-top finish on Old Willunga Hill where he has triumphed six times.

The 35-year-old is in quarantine in Perth with his wife and their two young children including daughter Eloise, who was born during the Tour de France in September.

They will spend Christmas with his family in Launceston, Tasmania, before coming to race in Adelaide as part of the six-day festival of cycling, which includes a track, BMX, mountain bike and cyclocross event.

Richie Porte after winning the Tour Down Under for a second time this year. Picture: Daniel Kalisz (Getty).

“Basically I’d been resigned to the fact that we’d be unable to go to Australia because we were waiting on our daughter’s (Eloise) passport and everything else going on, but I had a call from Stuey (O’Grady) who said ‘what’s your plans and we’d love to get you back’,” Porte told The Advertiser.

“It’s a good reason to go back to Australia and to be honest I don’t think there’s a better place to start the season than Adelaide in January. It’s a great city at the best of times but in January it’s the most enjoyable race you can go to, it’s relaxed and well organised, and I don’t think I have too many years left to experience that as a bike rider.

“So I’m looking forward to coming back and being part of the national team and it’s a good headstart for me to get some racing in early.”

Porte finished third in the Tour de France. Picture: Christophe Petit-Tesson (Getty).

Porte is switching teams in the off-season from Trek-Segafredo to Ineos and said the trip Down Under this summer was as good for him physically and mentally.

“When I asked the team they said if I could get back to Australia that would be the best thing, and Tim Kerrison (trainer), who is Australian, realises we spend so much time overseas that it’s always nice to get back.

“Especially this year when we had such a hard lockdown in Monaco and couldn’t leave the apartment.

“It will be nice, Stuey did so much for me in the beginning of my career and getting me my first pro contract so it will be nice to support his race and it’s been a happy hunting ground so I’m looking forward to it.”