Tour de France winner Andy Schleck says Richie Porte a legitimate force in Tour de France

TOUR de France winner Andy Schleck has thrown Australian Richie Porte's name into the ring as a contender for a Tour de France podium finish.

Sky team

TOUR de France winner Andy Schleck has thrown Australian Richie Porte's name into the ring as a shock contender for a Tour de France podium finish in the 100th edition of the race this year.

A former teammate of 2010 Tour winner Schleck, the tough Tasmanian is now part of the powerful Team Sky outfit spearheaded by defending Tour de France champion Brad Wiggins and boasting rising star Chris Froome, who finished second last year.

Schleck rates the talented 27-year-old from Launceston as good a climber as Wiggins and Froome, the former he still considers the man to beat in this year's Tour de France.

"Bradley is the guy to beat. Bradley has the pressure on the shoulder," said Schleck, racing for Radioshack Leopard at the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide which finished on Sunday.

"They have a really good, strong structure. A bit like an army, and they are soldiers. They showed last year they are incredibly strong.

"If you go in the Tour now you say Froome, Brad Wiggins. But there are more guys.

"Another is Richie Porte, which I see as a really big guy this year. Last year he improved already a lot. I know him from when he was with us in Saxo Bank and he can be really good.

"He can be really fast in time trials and he can really climb. I believe he can climb as good as Froome and Brad. Maybe that is the guy they don't announce."

A notable time trialist, Porte finished seventh in the Giro d'Italia in 2010 and played a major role in helping Team Sky to numerous successes in 2012, including Wiggin's Paris-Nice victory.

Sky team

While Cadel Evans finished off the podium (seventh) in the last year's Tour de France, Schleck believes the 2011 Tour winner is also still a danger for a second win this year.

"Yes, of course," he said. "Cadel has been here for how many years?

"Cadel is a magnet for bad luck sometimes. Unfortunately for him he crashes a lot.

"He comes with super shape in the Tour and still manages to do good.

"The year he won everything went good for him. He will be good again, there is no doubt about it."

While Schleck had a Tour Down Under to forget - going into the final stage on Sunday in second-last place then failing to finish due to bike issues - it was all part of his comeback from a season of serious injury which included him fracturing his pelvis in a crash.

Schleck maintains he is on track to be back to his best by the Tour de France.

"Yes, I truly believe," he said of being in top nick by mid-year.

"It is what keeps me everyday working hard, to be 100 per cent at the start (of the Tour de France)."