Porte looking forward to Gerrans calling the shots

Richie Porte has championed the addition of Simon Gerrans to the BMC Racing fold in 2018, claiming the veteran is “the road captain I’ve never really had”.

Richie Porte at the 2017 Tour de France. Source: Getty

Speaking from his off-season base in Tasmania, Australia, Porte said he’d be open to having the classics specialist turned captain support him in another fully fledged Tour de France title shot next year.

“It will be nice for me to have somebody like him on the road calling the shots,” Porte said.

“I think at the moment we’ll see how it all goes but I’d expect him to be there at the Tour. He’s kind of the road captain I’ve never really had.

“Money can’t buy the experience of someone like Simon Gerrans. He’s a road captain, who can still win races.”

Gerrans, 37, is a two-time Tour stage winner but was overlooked for selection by Orica-Scott this year.

“To be honest you sit there and scratch your head at some of the stuff that Orica do – why don’t they have Caleb Ewan at the Tour, and Simon as well,” Porte continued.

Sprinter Ewan has not started a Tour de France with Orica-Scott, which has continued to centralise its focus around the general classification at Grand Tours with Esteban Chaves as well as British twins Simon and Adam Yates, who feasibly pose a threat to Porte’s future endeavours.

Porte and Gerrans spent time together in Provence, France in September.

The pair is likely to reunite in competition over the Australian summer with Porte outlining a Tour Down Under title defence.

The 32-year-old was BMC’s first and only plan at the Tour de France this year, which he crashed out of, returning to the peloton at the Japan Cup in October.

Richie Porte talks to Sophie Smith and Christophe Mallet about his race comeback and plans for 2018 on the Zwift SBS Cycling Podcast – out Wednesday.