HE IS OUR MOST LOVED AND REVERED PRO RIDERS, and one of Australia’s greatest-ever cyclists. Here retiring legend Richie Porte goes one-on-one with Lee ‘Hollywood’ Turner.
“It’s a strange time, in some ways my whole adult life has been around riding a bike for a living,” legendary Aussie cyclist Richie Porte told Lee Turner in this retirement interview. “But now it’s snuck up on me and it’s all over,” he added.
“But I’m ready for a change, I’m ready to invest more time in family. And get back to Australia and have a normal life … It’s all pretty exciting really.”
LEE TURNER: WERE YOU SAD ABOUT RIDING YOUR LAST RACE?
Richie Porte: I’m not the most emotional person but it was quite an emotional occasion. The Tour of Britain, and my wife being British – we had family and friends there from Australia. At the end of the day it was nice to go out on my own terms. I had friends, other riders, who didn’t get contracts and it was nice to finish up how I did. I said a while back that 2022 would be my final year as a professional.
WE RECENTLY MET UP ON YOUR HOME ROADS IN MONACO. YOU WERE FIT, FAST AND FIRING. THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE YOU WOULD STAY ON ANOTHER YEAR?
No … In the Giro I was asked that question if I wanted another contract. At the end of the day my son is four, going on five, that takes precedence now to get him into school. It was easy enough to get my
