Richie Porte (Sky) has had a fantastic season win an overall win in Paris-Nice being a highlight in a year that has also seen him be a top domestique for Chris Froome in the most important races on the calendar. Next year the Australian is looking forward to a potential chance to lead Sky in the Giro d'Italia and he likes the design of the course that was revealed earlier this week.

It has been an incredible 2013 for Richie Porte who has firmly established himself as one of the best stage race riders in the world. An overall win in the Paris-Nice, a 2nd place in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and 2nd places behind team leader Chris Froome in the Criterium du Dauphiné and the Criterium International have put the Australian at the top end of the hierarchy.

The string of top results has also allowed Porte to get more personal freedom and earlier this year, news circulated that he had been promised a leadership role in the Giro d'Italia. Hence, he was extra attentive when the route for the Italian grand tour was announced earlier this week.

Porte still hasn't got confirmation that he will actually lead his team in the Giro but he has taken the time to study the course. With 9 uphill finishes, a team time trial, a long mountain time trial and a mountain time trial on the Monte Grappa, the race is set to be won by a versatile rider that fits Porte's characteristics.

“I’ve had a look at the route, I like it and it’s not a bad race for me," Porte told Cyclingnews at the start of the first stage of the Tour of Beijing. "I’m still not really sure what my programme is yet though. Not until the Tour route comes out. Obviously I’d love to do the Giro for myself before going to the Tour and helping Chris there."

While Porte has already set his sights on next year's Giro, he is currently racing the final WorldTour race of the season in Beijing. The Australian admits to be fatigued after a long season and so is not too optimistic when it comes to his chances of vying for overall honours on the mountainous course.

His Sky team currently leads the WorldTour rankings and would like to seal the overall win but may come under threat by Movistar team. Hence, the team management has asked Porte to prolong his season a bit in a quest to pick up a few points in the final event.

“It’s been a long season and the legs are tired," he saud. "I’m here because the team want me here, because the points are tight. To be honest, I don’t really know where I am. I’ve been going since January without a proper break. We’ve got a team here who could make it hard before that, but we’ll just see how we go.”

The race is set to be decided in Monday's summit finish but Porte is not too impressed by the toughness of the climb.

“It looks hard on paper, but then when you look at it it’s only five or six per cent," he said. "So someone like Tony Martin could get up that. We’ll have to see.”

Porte finished safely in the peloton on today's first stage.