Richie Porte says his first appearance at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2008 forced him to shape his own destiny

TREK-Segafredo’s new weapon Richie Porte’s proudest moment in his stunning cycling career wasn’t standing on top of podiums, it was paying back the $30,000 his parents invested in him when the system rejected him.

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TREK-Segafredo’s new weapon Richie Porte’s proudest moment in his stunning cycling career wasn’t standing on top of podiums, it was paying back the $30,000 his parents invested in him when the system rejected him.

The 33-year-old Tasmanian says his first appearance at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2008 shaped his destiny.

Trek-Segafredo recruit Richie Porte with fans at L'Incontro Cafe in Gays Arcade ahead of the 2019 Tour Down Under, which kicks off with the Down Under Classic in the East End on Sunday. Picture: AAP Image / Bianca De Marchi

Porte was a UniSA wildcard at the Tour Down Under 11 years ago, earning a start in SA by finishing fifth in the individual time trial at the national road cycling championships just before the event.

However, claiming ninth in the general classification in his first major bike race tour wasn’t the turning point.

“I never came through the Australian Institute of Sport thing, I was forced to go over to Italy and I didn’t have the big support of an institute behind me,’’ Porte said before making his official debut with the US Trek-Segafredo in the Down Under Classic in the East End from 4.45pm on Sunday.

“I think that was for me the best, I think Italy kind of shaped me a little bit, my amateur days were hard.

“It was a culture shock leaving Tassie for Italy I owed my mum and dad a fortune.

“It’s probably one of the proudest moments of my life paying them back in 2013, they had no problem doing that.

“I owed my parents about $30,000 for everything and to give it back, they didn’t expect the money back, but this race for me was where it all started

Richie Porte as a wildcard for the UniSA team at his first Tour Down Under in 2008. Picture: Richie Porte.

“It’s just that this race can start careers, it’s an opportunity for every one of those guys in the UniSA team to get their name over the airwaves.

“And the WorldTour directors their ears prick up they remember the names.”

“I was lucky enough that my parents were financial enough to be able to do it and having a little boy now, you’d do anything for your kids.”

The affable Tasmanian, a 2017 Tour Down Under champion and winner of five consecutive Willunga Hill stages is the only Australian to win the iconic Paris-Nice (twice).

He says his new team has re-energised his body.

After a meet and greet training camp in the US in November, Porte was allowed a leave pass to Tasmania.

He spent the past two months enjoying Tasmania.

“Changing teams was the first time since a long time that I was allowed to come back to Australia and just stay in the one place,’’ Porte said.

“I was just in Tassie riding my bike and I got into a good routine as a cyclist since I was home on November 10.

“Europe’s home now, but just to come back to your old roads, see the family, we don’t really get to see them so much it’s just great and a new bike and really adjust to that.”

Richie Porte wears the ochre jersey at the 2017 Tour Down Under. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

Porte is now looking to cap off a dream new team debut at the front of the WorldTour pack at the Willunga Hill after the final stage — a hilltop finish he has owned since 2014.

“It’s not easy changing teams but it’s been pretty straight forward we had a camp in the United States in early November which was a good set up, I guess being backed by a bike company makes things easier,’’ he said.

“Everyone wants to win this race now. Everyone used to say it’s too early in the season but it’s a WorldTour race, it’s an awesome race to win. You take confidence out of wins and to win here I think you know we’ve got a great team to put me in a great position.”

Originally published as Richie Porte says his first appearance at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2008 forced him to shape his own destiny