Porte talked all the way through the 2020 Tour de France that it would be his last shot at leadership, and that he would move to a helper role after the current season.
While it was heavily rumoured that the meaning of his words were that he would be returning to the British WorldTour squad, it wasn't confirmed until today that the Tasmanian would be rejoining the team.
"I had four fantastic years and some of the happiest memories riding here. I weighed up the options this year and I’m very motivated to be able to finish my career at such a fantastic team," Porte said.
"I’ve been privileged with the teams I’ve ridden with but the camaraderie in this team is just incredible.
"It’s a great atmosphere and it will be nice to come back and hit the ground running. There are still so many good people and friends in the team that I’ve worked with before."
Porte previously spent four years at the team acting as the final man for Chris Froome in the high mountains, a crucial part of the team that won three Tours de France from 2012 to 2014.
"I’m motivated to be a part of more victories and to come back and race with some of the best guys in the world," said Porte. "I know what my role is – I know I can still win races on my day, but I see myself slotting in as a climbing domestique and it’s something I really look forward to.”
The 35-year-old won't reunite with his old friend Froome however, with the four-time Tour de France winner joining Israel Start-Up Nation to pursue his Grand Tour ambitions with a younger generation increasingly finding favour with the INEOS set-up.
Porte won two Paris-Nice overall titles, the Volta a Catalunya and the Giro del Trentino as the most high-profile victories during his time with the then-Team Sky squad and will presumably still get some opportunities to race for his own results in the future as well as help the likes of Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas, Pavel Sivakov and Richard Carapaz to stage race success.
Porte joins as part of a quartet of incredibly strong riders announced as joining the team on the same day. British youngster Tom Pidcock, Colombian Dauphine winner Daniel Martinez and Laurens De Plus will all join the team as well for 2021.
INEOS Grenadiers boss Sir David Brailsford was keen to welcome Porte back into the setup.
“Richie’s richly-deserved podium at the Tour de France once again demonstrated that he’s one of the best riders in the peloton," said Brailsford. "He’s a world class climber, time triallist, and if you are building a team to be competitive against the world’s best then you’d want Richie Porte by your side.
"We already know how each other works, he knows how we race, and with the wealth of experience that Richie now has he has so much to offer the team. We really are extremely pleased to welcome him back."
