Dave Brailsford has told Cycling Weekly that he still has confidence in Richie Porte.

“I haven’t lost confidence in him,” Brailsford told Cycling Weekly. “You have to look at the bigger picture, not just the performances over the last months.”

Porte has been crucial in both of Sky’s Tour de France wins but this season he has struggled to finish races due to sickness that caused him to miss his personal season goal, the Giro d’Italia. However, he has shown real signs of forms in the Criterium du Dauphine and that will only encourage Brailsford and Sky.

“You need to wait until the end of the week to see where we are at instead of after every single hour and every single race,” Brailsford said. “[That finish] was not a true reflection of where he’s at.”

As for whether Porte will be allowed to lead Sky again, Brailsford said:

“Oh yeah, I believe in Riche Porte 100%. He’s a fantastic climber, he gets time trialling right. With the right parcours and the right race, then I think he can win a Grand Tour,” explained Brailsford.

“He’s very close. Once he gets [his rhythm] back he’s definitely a force to reckon with.”