Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) admitted that he would have liked to have performed a little better on the Col de Beyrade, the final stage of the Route d'Occitanie major stage in the Pyrenees. [Honestly, I expected a little more from myself, but the Ineos were really great and dominated all day," Porte told Cycling News. [They] were at the front all day, and when it came to the final climb, they were in complete control." [When Chris Froome, a four-time Tour de France winner, pulls a line like he did, the rest of the field is always going to have a hard time. Then Tao Geoghegan Hart did a great job after Chris.

The Australian finished seventh in the bailade and remained there until he was one of only five in the lead group.

"I dropped back a little bit into the red, but yesterday nobody could attack. But no one could attack yesterday. Anyone who did attack would have been reeled in almost immediately."

There is widespread speculation that Porte, who left then-team Sky at the end of 2015, will return to the British team after this season, but he did not wish to comment on these rumors.

"Out of respect for Trek, I don't want to mention the transfer. They have been good to me over the past two years and I really appreciate it," the Australian said.

After Occitanie, Porte will race the Mont Ventoux-Denivelle Challenge and then the Tour de Ain.

"It's going to be a battle royal," Porte predicted, "with almost all the top riders from Ineos and Steven Krousewijk leading the excellent Jumbo Visma team.

"It will be a tough battle for the others, but that doesn't mean they won't have a chance. Thibaut Pinot did a great job yesterday, and Astana's young player (Alexandre Vlasov) is very talented. When I saw Superman Lopez collecting bottles from the team car the day before, I wondered what was going on. He will really make a name for himself."

He is a very talented young man, and I am sure he will make a name for himself.

Like his friend and former Sky teammate Froome, Porte admitted that riding the familiar terrain of the Pyrenees on stage 3 of Occitanie brought back memories of racing and training with the late Nicolas Portal behind the team car.

"I don't think a day goes by that I don't think about Nico, and yesterday was no different.

"He wasn't just the directeur in your earpiece, he was also the directeur riding with you on your bike. He was a very happy guy and a good friend."

"After I left Sky he always said hi and we exchanged messages. He always checked in to see how I was doing. Yesterday's visit to his hometown was especially poignant. He was like a father to the riders and was very well liked. I feel his passing very much."