Richie Porte (open in new tab) may have decided to retire at the end of 2022, but the veteran rider still has big ambitions as he embarks on his final WorldTour campaign. The 36-year-old will start the season at the Santos Festival of Cycling before returning to Europe to join his teammates at Ineos Grenadiers (opens in new tab). the final race program for 2022 is still unknown, but this year Criterium du Dauphine-winning Australian rider hopes to add to his collection of stage race victories over the course of the week with a win at Tirreno-Adriatico. The third-place finisher in the 2020 Tour de France is one of the most successful riders of the past decade in short-distance stage races, including a Dauphiné win, two Paris-Nice and Tour Down Under victories each, and wins in the Tour de Romandie, Volta a Catalunya, and Tour de Suisse.

Assuming he competes in the Tirreno-Adriatico in March, this experienced all-rounder will be aiming for the Giro d'Italia.

This Italian Grand Tour saw the Australian burst onto the World Tour scene in 2010, taking the maglia rosa, white jersey, and seventh overall in his three-week debut. While he may not be expected to be a leader at this stage, Porte could play a pivotal role in the team's overall ambitions to defend its Giro d'Italia win in 2021.

"What the team [Ineos] really wants is for me to enjoy my last year. That's my plan too," Porte told veteran Australian journalist Roger Vaughan in an interview with 7news.com.au.

"It was a great run. Otherwise we would be wasting our time as a family."

"If I could close the loop there, it would be a dream. The Giro d'Italia is a race I always enjoy," he said of the possibility of competing in the Giro d'Italia.

Along with the hope of staying competitive, Porte will provide valuable experience for the team's young riders. A 16-time Grand Tour veteran, Porte has covered almost all bases in his long career, from leadership roles to domestique roles for riders such as Alberto Contador and Chris Froome.

"It's nice to be on the cutting edge of bike racing at 36 with these incredibly talented young kids, so that when I watch the Tour in 10 years, I can tell my son or daughter, 'I raced with those guys.'"

Porte is committed to the 2022 campaign and is trying to get everything out of his last season on the road, but at some point he will need to think about life after his racing career.

While he and his family may move to Australia and leave their European home behind, Porte is at least thinking about what direction he wants to take in the coming years.

"With young, bright talent, I might be able to use the contacts I've made to help them take the step to Europe. Helping kids who have slipped through the cracks of the institute, maybe that's the role I want to play in cycling."