Richie Porte admitted that he did not have the "win or die" mentality of such Grand Tour greats as Chris Froome and Tadej Pogachar, describing himself as a "psychological beast."

Porte, who won most of the biggest weekday races, was unable to replicate his success in the Grand Tours.

The Australian, who retired after the 2022 campaign, gave a long interview to the French newspaper L'Equipe (opens in new tab) in which he stressed the importance of the "human element" in cycling.

"There is an aspect of cycling that cannot be overlooked. Cycling is simple: you get on the bike and turn the pedals. Now it's as if everything has become a mathematical equation," Porte said.

"I'm tired of riding the bus and listening to the young riders talking about carbohydrate and protein levels. I'm always in better shape if I weigh a kilo more than I'm supposed to in a race. There is no denying the human element. Like Froom and Pogacar, they are psychological beasts."

Porte rode with Froome for four years with Team Sky, playing a key role in two of his four Tour de France wins in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017. He then spent three years with BMC Racing, reaching the Tour podium with Trek-Segafredo, before returning to Sky (now Ineos Grenadiers) for the last two seasons, winning the Criterium du Dauphiné.

During his 13-year career, he saw the sport become more scientific, spending a total of six seasons with the Sky/Ineos setup, built on the principles of marginal gains.

"I was never one to look too much at the power meter. I'm against that kind of thing," Porte told L'Equipe.

"I respect players like Thibaut Pinot. We both hate critics, they get on our nerves. I didn't like social media or sponsorship obligations. That was the worst for me. I remained friends with everyone in Sky/Ineos. There was still a human side to the team, but I was never the type to weigh my food. If I wanted a burger and a beer, I wasn't going to sacrifice myself."

Porte was asked if his "human approach" cost him victories during his career.

"Probably, yes. For one reason or another I didn't win in the Grand Tours. Maybe I was too influenced by things or cared too much about what people thought of me. I didn't have a "win or die" attitude. I like to be respected by people."

Porte then suggested that he lacked the self-belief of the top Grand Tour riders.

"I always had big doubts about my abilities. I had that kind of personality, low self-esteem, and I didn't think I was one of the best.

"Certainly (I did) overthink things. In fact, I always did. My best days were after having a flat tire at the wrong time or crashing at the start.