Porte shows his strength on penultimate day

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Richie Porte (Saxo Bank-Sungard) put in another solid Grand Tour time trial on Saturday at the Tour de France. The Australian finished fifth, and adds that result to his fourth on the final day of the Giro d'Italia. Despite suffering from fatigue midway through the race, the former Maglia Bianca winner appears to have come out of the Tour with some impressive form.

"I have been looking forward to this time trial for a long time," Porte explained after the race. "I started early and didn't have the best conditions on wet roads but I did the best possibly could after three weeks of racing. Now, I'm looking forward to going to Paris. I guess it's every bike rider's dream to be completing the biggest cycling event in the world and to being a part of the huge finale in the streets of Paris."

Porte's team leader Alberto Contador was unable to defend his Tour de France title but the Australian felt that the team had ridden as well as they could have over the three weeks.

"I think all in all we did a great race. Alberto [Contador] never lost his motivation, never complained and kept fighting to the very last and he won a lot of respect on the stage yesterday to Alpe d'Huez by launching that huge attack," continued Porte.

The Australian is now fully focused on his next two races, particularly the Tour of Denmark, Saxo Bank-Sungard's home race, where Porte will finally get his chance to ride for his own back.

"After the Tour de France, I'm doing San Sebastian and then I'm off to the Tour of Denmark," said Porte. "I'm really looking forward to be riding for the overall classification there and I hope to see a huge crowd in the streets of Vejle on the queen stage."