Porte cites self as proof of cleaner cycling

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Richie Porte has firmly rejected any doubts about his success in 2010, insisting that he won clean and that cycling is becoming cleaner. “I can only vouch for myself, but it can't be really bad in the sport. I was seventh in the Giro and I have not f**king cheated,” sporten.dk report him as saying.

“There is always someone who cries and hope you have cheated and are caught after you have won the race."

“I'm sure the riders I've ridden with before think that I have cheated. But fuck them. Look at us young riders, we are a new generation,” Porte said.

He cited Saxo Bank-SunGard teammate Kasper Klostergaard, who he said, “is cool, he will not even take an aspirin when he has a headache because pills are unnatural.”

Porte burst onto the scene in his first pro year of 2010, winning the time trial at the Tour de Romandie. At the Giro d'Italia, he wore the leader's pink jersey for three stages and finished seventh overall. Porte just missed the podium at the Worlds time trial in his native Australia, finishing fourth.

The Tasmanian knew, though, that not everyone in the sport thinks the way he does. “There is stigma stuck to the guys, but with us in the new generation, there has been a big mental shift."

“Look at the Danes, Australians and Englishmen, it is where young riders will come and take over. The Australians should not even get a Coke or caffeine-gel, it's pretty extreme. Sport is undoubtedly cleaner than ever.”