After a stunning start to 2015, where he has won the Australian TT, Paris-Nice and two stages, plus the queen stages at the Tour Down Under and Volta ao Algarve, Richie Porte has put his success down to the swimming work he has done in the offseason.

Between November and December, the ex swimmer and triathlete swam between 20-27km each week and says it has drastically helped increase his breathing capacity.

Asked for the biggest impact on his cycling from the added strength gained by swimming so much, Porte told Cyclingnews: "I feel for sure it helps breathing."

"With scarring in my lungs [from pneumonia], it was the best thing to do," Porte said. “It was not too much … just to roll the arms over in the pool. I did 27km one week with about 20km average a week. That's from my background as a swimmer. I would usually just do an hour – anything between three and five kilometres.”

"I was there is 'Tassie' in November and December when my fiancé [Gemma Barrett] was still in the United Kingdom. I had all the time in the world. I would ride my bike in the morning, then come back home and walk the kilometre to the pool in the 'arvo'. It was a fantastic routine. It really put me in good health …”

"After last year I wasn't really sure where I would be. But now I am more confident than I have ever been."

He will hope that his new found confidence and breathing ability can help him win the next few events before he sets his sights on his big goal for 2015: the Giro d’Italia.