'There’s probably the next Cadel Evans in that peloton': Richie Porte's swansong and the impressive new generation

Climbing Willunga Hill for the final time with numbers pinned on his back, Richie Porte rightfully allowed himself the brief opportunity to soak in the moment during Saturday’s Santos Festival of Cycling (TDU Festival) finale.

With the Stage 3 win up the road in the day’s breakaway, gone was the fairytale ending many had envisioned for Porte, but this didn’t dampen the occasion whatsoever for the Tasmanian star.

“In some ways, it was a blessing in disguise that the race was up the road, I was able to sit back and just enjoy myself a little bit more,” Porte said.

“To be quite honest it’s been quite emotional for me. I’ve loved coming back here and it’s where it all started for me, and there were memories there (on the climb) that came flooding back from when I first started here 14 years ago.

“This is the best-organised race on the calendar bar none, the crowds are fantastic and the ride up Willunga, I enjoyed it for once.”

Porte has become synonymous with Santos Tour Down Under’s prestigious climb after claiming six consecutive wins from 2014 onwards, before adding a final Willunga Hill scalp at last year’s TDU Festival.

Fittingly, Luke Plapp - the young star who wowed the cycling world on Willunga in 2021 behind Porte - continued his meteoric rise through the ranks during the 2022 summer of cycling in Australia.

It is a progression not lost on Porte, who mentored five of Australia’s next generation in Team Garmin-Australia colours last week.

“Hopefully there’s another Luke Plapp in this peloton who can kick on and get a pro contract out of the race,” he said.

“I started racing in the NRS (National Road Series) with Team Praties, which is now Team BridgeLane, so it is kind of nice to be able to finish up and race alongside these young Aussie kids.

“Some of the Aussie kids racing here are absolutely brilliant … this is the breeding ground for Aussie cycling. There are some really good kids coming out.

“There’s probably the next Cadel Evans in that peloton ... there is going to be another Australian win the Tour de France and it’d be great to say that I rode in the peloton with them here in this race, my final race in Australia.

“Hopefully they get an opportunity to race overseas this year.”

One of the five developing riders selected to race alongside Porte at the second edition of the TDU Festival was Team BridgeLane’s Dylan George, a member of the non-travelling 2021 U19 Australian National Team.

The 18-year-old Sydneysider has begun to amass a growing pedigree has a star of the future after winning the 2021 Junior Men’s National Road Race Championship in Ballarat, which was backed up by 8th place finishes in the U23 category in both the time trial and road race a month ago.

George wasted no opportunity at the TDU Festival, launching a bold final kilometre flyer on Stage 2 in Lobethal alongside riding above his years at the front of the peloton in service of Porte and Plapp.

“I would probably go as far to say that being able to race in a team alongside Richie was a cooler experience than if we had gone to worlds (2021 UCI Road World Championships), especially given the lack of racing over the past two years,” George said.

“For most of us this was our first (or one of our first) major bike races in a peloton of 120-plus guys and that was a learning experience in itself, but to have Richie there guiding us through and asserting our position in the peloton was like having training wheels that we slowly took off throughout the week as we found our feet and could fight for ourselves in the positioning.

“The racing itself was super fun too, there wasn’t really any pressure on us beyond trying to defend Richie’s Willunga title, so I just enjoyed being able to make the most of any opportunities that arose and practice things like getting bottles for the team, mainly just trying to make life easier for the other boys and have some fun whilst I was at it.”

It was that pursuit of continuing Porte’s Willunga Hill dominance that George lamented as both a moment of disappointment and learning.

“I was a bit frustrated at myself when I couldn’t bring back the breakaway on Stage 3 for Richie as I felt that was probably the most important part of the week,” George said.

“But I think it says a lot about Richie’s character and what I’ve learned from him in the way that he wasn’t overly concerned about the win and just wanted to enjoy the moment for his last time racing in Australia.

“At the end of the day that was inspiring in a way, to see such a good rider just focus on having fun and it’s something I’ll hopefully take into my own racing and experiences in the future.”

Pictures: Russ Ellis