Richie Porte (Team Sky) wants to take another step in his career. The former luxury domestique of such distinguished riders as Alberto Contador, Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in the Tour de France, the Giro d' Italia or the Vuelta a España, Porte now aspires to higher levels.

In accordance with the wishes of his employers, Porte will focus his 2014 season on the conquest of the Giro d’Italia. While still keeping both feet on the ground and dutifully fulfilling his obligations with the Sky team, Porte has made no secret of his desire to be the undisputed leader of a team at some point in his career – a prospect that seems unlikely should he remain in the same team as a certain Chris Froome.

Porte has a contract with Sky until 2015 and has already announced his intention to change teams to become a leader. That does not mean that the Australian doesn’t feel at home with the British squad, quite the opposite as Porte was anxious to stress in an interview.

"The support and professionalism I receive from Sky cannot be found anywhere else,” Porte told French sports daily L’Èquipe as reported on Biciciclismo.com. “No other team would have saved the jersey of Paris- Nice when I was attacked by all sides," Porte said, referring to the 2013 edition of the race which he won in style.

Speculation has been rife that Porte might join Australian outfit Orica-GreenEDGE but Porte, perhaps as a means of a cloaking operation, did little to sustain such speculation.

"Cycling today goes beyond a passport. I do not feel the need to ride for Orica-GreenEDGE, especially since I am not a product of the Australian Institute of Sport,” Porte commented.

Asked if Alberto Contador may be a match for Froome and can aspire to win the Tour, Porte, who acted as a teammate of Contador during the 2011 season, displayed no doubts about Contador’s ability to seriously challenge for Froome’s Tour crown.

"Given the way he won the Vuelta in 2012, then yes! This achievement is not an ancient one. Contador performed below par in 2013 and Chris defeated him on all fronts, against the clock and in the mountains, but Contador never gives up. Physically, Alberto still has every chance of winning a Grand Tour," Porte stated.

Inevitably, Porte was also asked about the endless rumours about the allegedly strained relationship between team mates Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. Porte was very unequivocal.

"He [Wiggins] wants to return. But things are simple: if he rides better than Sergio [Henao] then he will be the last to accompany Chris in the mountains, but the important thing is that the entire team is at Chris’ disposal.”

As for his own role in the Tour, Porte said that would depend on the outcome of the Giro d’Italia and that a decision about his contribution to the Tour de France campaign of Team Sky will be made in the aftermath of the Italian Grand Tour.

“My role in the Tour will be determined after the Giro," Porte explained in the French sports daily.