Chris Froome’s chief lieutenant in 2013, Australian climbing ace Richie Porte has the chance to lead Team Sky into a Grand Tour himself this season – with the Giro d’Italia his big target. Porte, who finished third in the Australian national road race last weekend, will share the leadership of the British team with Welshman Geraint Thomas after the Olympic team pursuit champion won a stage and wore the ochre jersey on his way to third place overall last year.

With giant Austrian hard-man Bernard Eisel among the duo’s support team, alongside former British champion, Ian Stannard, who proved a key member of Chris Froome’s 2013 support team and also helped Sir Bradley Wiggins to Tour of Britain victory, Sky are well-equipped to challenge in the mountainous stages and to control events on the flat. Porte’s ability as support for Froome was undoubted last year, and earned widespread plaudits. Whether he has the legs to compete for a Grand Tour this year remains to be seen, but Paris-Nice victory and second place at the Criterium du Dauphine prove he is well-suited to the shorter stage races like the Tour Down Under.