The Australian states that after his contract expires he wants a team for himself

Richie Porte is set to race with Team Sky until the end of 2015, but he reveals already now, that he, at that point wants to try his own chances. Porte will be thirty years old when his contract ends, and will thus at the Grand Tour peak age, and physically at his prime.

He has already shown that he can ride with the best, and compete in the Grand Tours. Still, he knows that one of his future opponents will be his current captain, Christopher Froome.

“I think Chris Froome is the rider of this generation. I think he's going to win more than one Tour and it's unrealistic of me [to receive captaincy), in a British team, when he's got a British passport,” Porte told the Herald Sun.

“To be honest, it's going to be hard to beat Chris, but in another team who knows?”

“As much as I love being there and being the wingman, it's not what I always want to do,” he explained.

Theoretically Porte would be a perfect match for Australian Orica-GreenEdge, even though the team has never relied on a pure-blooded GT rider. Nonetheless, the team has earlier stated that one of the eventual goals was to compete in the overall classifications of the Grand Tour and the important larger stage races.

“I've shown by winning Paris-Nice and coming second in the Dauphine and Basque, they're pretty big races in the sport. I think the next move for me is two more years at Sky, but then I really think I need to get out and ride in a team where I'll be the leader.

Porte’s Giro title aim will for the first time be backed by an entire team handpicked to do his biddings, and while still playing second violin to Froome, he will get the taste of full team support.

“I think I do have the qualities to be a contender. I mean, I can climb and time trial and hold my own in the descents too. The ultimate GC rider has to be good at everything.”