Bad luck, weird setbacks dog cyclist Porte

Jan 18, 2017 - 8:23 AM CYCLING STAR RICHIE PORTE'S BAD LUCK AND SETBACKS:

* 2014 Tour de France: Porte becomes the Team Sky leader after Chris Froome crashed out of the race. But the Tasmanian is dogged by ill health and finishes 23rd. Towards the end of the season, he is diagnosed with pneumonia

* 2015 Giro d'Italia: Porte is third overall, but he has an ill-timed puncture with 5km left in stage 10. After compatriot Simon Clarke hands him his front wheel in a gesture of sportsmanship, race judges dock them two minutes because they are on rival teams. Porte also crashes in stage 13 and eventually abandons

* 2016 Tour Down Under: Porte is caught in a split approaching Victor Harbor and loses eight seconds. He finishes second overall, nine seconds behind Simon Gerrans

* Tour de France: Another puncture in stage two costs him nearly two minutes. Porte finishes fifth overall, his best Tour result, but he is only a minute and 12 seconds off second place. He also collides with a race motorbike in the chaotic end to stage 12

* Rio Olympics: After a couple of mechanical problems, Porte crashes on the steep Vista Chinesa descent about 35km from the finish and suffers a broken shoulder blade, ending his season

Source: AAP