Intro:

Australian Richie Porte of Team Sky continues his fine early season form with victory at the Volta a Catalunya in Spain.

Script:

Team Sky's Richie Porte continued his outstanding start to the season by completing overall victory of the Volta a Catalunya as Alejandro Valverde won the final stage in Barcelona.

Porte started the day with a five-second cushion over second-placed Italian Domenico Pozzovivo but it was Valverde who presented the greatest threat to his lead.

Porte's team-mates chased Valverde down but he then contested the sprint and claimed his third stage win of the race and the 10 bonus seconds on offer.

That sealed second spot for the Movistar rider, four seconds adrift of Porte:

SOUNDBITE (English) Richie Porte (Australia, Sky):

"... With (Alejandro) Valverde you just never know. I mean, he's just a class rider and you know, taking the bonus seconds on the road too and then the stage, obviously it was a bit nervous, but credit to the team again, they had numbers there in the final and I think that's what saved the race for me."

The Tasmanian-born rider has proved a devil on two wheels, having won Paris-Nice two weeks ago.