Santos Festival: One last time for Richie Porte at the race where it all began

It was back in 2008 when Richie Porte first lined up at the Santos Tour Down Under, getting a spot in the national team to race at his first top-tier international event. Now fourteen years later he’s taking the journey full circle, out racing on the roads of South Australia for the last time.

The 36-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider is again with the national squad (Team Garmin Australia) at the Santos Festival of Cycling as he mentors another generation of hopefuls. It isn’t the WorldTour finale to his time at the race the rider – who is retiring at the end of this season – had hoped for with the cancellation of the international event for a second year, but he still plans to make the most of his last time on the vineyard lined roads and particularly the final climb Willunga Hill. 

“I want to enjoy it. Adelaide has been very kind to me over the years. It's probably my favourite race on the calendar and it's just great to get here,” said Porte in the pre-race media conference. 

“It's a shame it's not a WorldTour event, but it's a great opportunity for the young Aussie kids to show what they're made of and test themselves against guys like Rohan Dennis and Luke Durbridge and Plappy [Luke Plapp]. You know, there are some class bike riders here and it's always good to see where the Aussie boys are at.”

Porte last year, while riding with Team Garmin Australia, helped turn the Ineos Grenadiers spotlight on Plapp, who graciously clapped his mentor and teamate over the line as he rode over the line atop Willunga to take his seventh victory on the race’s iconic climb. Now Plapp, with an Ineos Grenadiers contract in hand, will be joining Porte but the new Australian road champion will this year be slipping into a mentor role