Reigning world champion Fabian Cancellara (SUI) says that Australia’s own Riche Porte (TAS) is a threat to his rainbow jersey.
Porte won the best rider under-25 category and placed sixth overall in the 2010 Tour of Italy. Cancellara said the performance of Porte, a teammate of the Swiss rider at Saxo Bank, at this year’s Giro D’Italia was “super great”.
“I am also seeing Richie Porte, from Australia, Tasmania,” Cancellara said. “For a first-year pro, he has a great future.”
Cancellara has also said that the time trial course is harder than the 2010 World Road Championships. Cancellara said time trialists would be tested over the parcours in the men’s 45.8km time trial, two laps of 22.9km, around Geelong on Thursday. “It’s very complicated parcours, a hard lap and they are pretty steep,” Cancellara said.
The triple world champion said he was looking to his bid to win a fourth world time trial title before the men’s 262.7km road race on Sunday, 3 October. “I am hungry and my heart is on the race, that is what I want,” he said.
While the course was not for sprinters, Cancellara said Mark Cavendish (GBR) was still a threat for the road race.
“Cavendish is saying ‘don’t forget me’,” he said.
