2016 Tour de France: Richie Porte has eyes on Rio medals after finishing fifth behind Chris Froome

A BITTERSWEET Tour de France has left Aussie cycling star Richie Porte confident he can be a medal contender in the time trial and road race at the Rio Olympics.

Richie Porte endured a torrid Tour de France but did well to finish fifth overall.

UPDATE: RICHIE Porte has revealed he battled illness and was on two courses of antibiotics during the Tour de France but has emerged with the form he believes can win an Olympics medal in Rio next month.

Porte had a urinary tract infection and feared his race might be over when he saw blood in his urine on the first rest day in Andorra as the Tour took a heavy toll on his body.

But the 31-year-old Tasmanian fought on to finish fifth overall which behind Cadel Evans, is the best result by an Australian since Phil Anderson who was also fifth overall in 1985.

The BMC star told News Corp the result was “bittersweet”.

Bitter because without a string of bad luck including an untimely puncture, a pile-up involving a race motorbike and crashing in the wet he could have been on the podium behind Chris Froome.

But sweet because for the first time leading BMC in the Tour de France he has shown he is a contender for the yellow jersey.

Porte planned a low-key after-party in Paris on Sunday night and will spend the next four days at home before racing Clasica San Sebastian in Spain on Saturday then joining Rohan Dennis and Simon Clarke in a pre-Games camp.

Richie Porte endured a torrid Tour de France but did well to finish fifth overall.

“I think I’m unlucky not to be on the podium here and Rio is such a hard course that if I really keep my things together then I can go there and be a contender for a medal,” Porte told News Corp.

“I feel much better coming out (of the Tour), it was different this year my job was to look out for myself and not have to worry about somebody else.

“I think I’ve had a great three weeks and other than the many disappointments I’ve had along the way mentally I feel as strong as I ever have.

“With Rio being such a big goal and the form I have, I really want to keep that and give myself the best shot I can at a medal.”

Porte said despite battling illness for the last 10 days of the Tour, it had not affected him in the same way a run of bad luck had during the three weeks.

“On Friday I had a disaster with my bike, too much pressure in the tyres and crashing in the wet and coming back with my wheel rubbing on the frame I lost a bit of time on the line,” he said.

Richie Porte is ready to turn his attentions to Rio.

“Little things like that if they didn’t go wrong then I would definitely be up there on the podium, so it’s hard to sit here now it’s such a bittersweet kind of moment.

“But my team, they rode so well and I think next year we can do better for sure.”

While Porte will lead Australia’s hopes in the 256km road race in Rio on day one of competition he will also be a contender in the time trial where he will be cheered on in Brazil by wife Gemma.

“It’s not a straightforward time trial, I was equal third in the uphill time trial at the Tour so obviously I’m not putting all my eggs in the one basket and I’ll see what I can do in both events in Rio,” he said.

Originally published as 2016 Tour de France: Richie Porte has eyes on Rio medals after finishing fifth behind Chris Froome