Rival Australian comes to Richie Porte's rescue in Giro d'Italia
Orica-GreenEdge's Simon Clarke gave his compatriot a front wheel after he puncture in the finale to stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia

Simon Clarke helps Richie Porte after a flat tyre on stage ten of the 2015 Giro d'Italia

Team Sky's Richie Porte was saved by Simon Clarke when he punctured in the final kilometers of stage 10, despite his fellow Australian riding for another team.
When Orica-GreenEdge's Clarke saw his Antipodean friend at the side of the road with a mechanical problem, he stopped and put his front wheel in Porte's bike.
Porte afterwards had four Sky team-mates to help him return, but lost around 47 seconds to rivals, including leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).
>>> Five talking points from stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia
"He's just another Aussie, mate," Clarke told Cycling Weekly afterwards. "He punctured and obviously needed a hand. It was one of those split seconds where it could have cost him the Giro."
"It's a unique situation, it's not like we have someone on GC," Clarke added
"All of Aussies get along well, it's not like I was colluding with a team we are trying to race against. I'm just trying to help out a friend. Right when he stopped, he had no one. I was right there and about to sit up and roll in."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Porte pucturend his front wheel and when the TV images showed him, he had around four teammates helping to save his Giro d'Italia position.
After the time loss, he sits fourth behind Contador by 1-09.
Asked what he thought about critics raising questions about him helping a rival team, Clarke added, "I was just helping out a mate."
"It didn't take away from [Clarke's] teammates," sports director, Dario Cioni said outside Sky's bus in Forlì.
"We benefited, but sometimes you are also colleagues and there's respect. It's nice to see that. A lot of people think on the bike that people fight with each other...When you are going for results, maybe, but at times friendship is stronger than a team at times.
"It was a nice gesture. It probably helped him lose less time. Cycling is a big wheel, so there will be a day when Richie will help him back."
Porte mentioned Clarke, but did not explain directly what happened. Reporters were unaware of what happened at the time.
"45 seconds... We've been fighting for one or two seconds, then you have a little bit of bad luck," Porte told reporters after warming down.
"You have a long way to go. It was nice to see my team stop and help me, and Simon Clarke and Michael Matthews, good mates helping me as well. It's not over. Taking the positives out of it; the legs felt great, [and I] live to fight another day."
In three days, Porte might be able to gain that time loss back in the long 59.2km time trial from Treviso, before the Giro goes to the high Alpine passes the following week.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
‘I’m pregnant and just raced to 9th place at one of the top gravel events in the country’ - Here’s why I am racing for two
From sponsors to instincts, here’s how I’m navigating pregnancy as a professional athlete
By Isabel King Published
-
'Given the circumstances, it's very impressive that he finished this stage' - Jonas Vingegaard crashes at Paris-Nice, loses 26 seconds on stage 5
Visma-Lease a Bike rider left with cut on lip and and ceded race lead on Thursday, understood to have hurt wrist
By Adam Becket Published
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'There's no bull****, that's what I've always liked' - Geraint Thomas's first BC coach Rod Ellingworth on the retiring Welshman
The 2018 Tour de France winner will step away from professional cycling at the end of the season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It is time to change goals' - Egan Bernal's coach confirms Ineos Grenadiers exit
'I want to thank all the cyclists I have had the opportunity to coach over the past ten years' Xabier Artetxe says in LinkedIn post
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Geraint Thomas represented 'all the best things about the golden era of British Cycling' - tributes paid to retiring rider
Former and current teammates and other figures from within pro cycling react to the Welshman’s decision to retire at the end of the current season
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers win first pro race in 226 days as Michał Kwiatkowski triumphs at Clásica Jaén
It was the Pole's 32nd professional victory, and his first since 2023
By Adam Becket Published