Trek-Segafredo's Richie Porte has stepped up a few gears in the wake of the Tour de France postponement and cancellation announcement, saying the rest of the year's competition will be a "huge bonus."

The World Tour peloton has been training aimlessly since the season was suspended after Paris-Nice in March.

A change in the Grande Pearl, scheduled for August 29, will allow Porte to break out of this stupor and aim for at least one race, although some are skeptical that a race will actually take place.

"Once the dates were set - and I think I probably speak for everyone here - once I had to get up and do my daily Zwift, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I had something to ride. At least it motivates me that I'm training for something," Porte told Cycling News at Tuesday's ergo session.

Porte, the Tour Down Under champion, has been training indoors in Monaco since returning from Paris-Nice. Monaco plans to ease restrictions starting May 4, but being a sovereign nation surrounded by France, Porte may have to wait until at least May 11 before he can ride outside.

"The first day will be like Christmas," he said.

Last month, the 35-year-old was doing one-hour sessions on his home trainer, but now he has more than doubled it and is less aware of his tool rivals who, perhaps advantageously, have been able to get their miles outdoors during the coronavirus outbreak.

"I had it super easy for three weeks, and now I have the motivation to get on my home trainer four hours a day or more, hoping the shutdown is over, And Porte.

"Coach did a really good job. He told me at the beginning, 'Do what you have to do, what you want to do, and if you're willing to do it, do it more.' So the ball is in my court."

"Doing a super long effort on the trainer in early March or early April doesn't work for me. It depends on what you need and what you want.

Trek-Segafredo has maintained open communication channels with its athletes during the pandemic, but has yet to plan a team dedicated to the Tour or a training camp at altitude.

The UCI will announce details of its 2020 race calendar, which will include the Tour, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, and five one-day monuments, but it is unclear when this will be announced.

"At this point, there are a lot of 'what ifs' that need to be overcome," Porte said.

"This is a special year. No one could have predicted this would happen; the Tour Down Under in January was like a different year.

"There was also the fiasco at the Tour of the UAE (several race participants tested positive for coronavirus and were cancelled with two stages to go). But if the race takes place this year, that will be a huge bonus. All we can do as cyclists is ride our bikes as much as we can, whether on the road or on Zwift. I'm really looking forward to it."

This year's Tour could be Porte's last as team leader. The Australian has hinted that he may return to Superdomestique next season after a five-year pursuit of the yellow jersey.

Porte, who is in a contract year, said it is "possible" that he will start the 2020 Tour primarily in training rather than a few months of competition and conditioning.

"We are all professionals. For example, if the French blockade is lifted on the 11th, it will take a great deal of time to get fit and ready," he said. [No one knows what will happen with travel restrictions, border controls, etc. It's a bit hypothetical, but I think three and a half months to prepare for the Tour is definitely doable, even if there aren't that many races."

Porte believes that his "biggest hardship" at this year's Tour will be missing the birth of his second child. His wife, Gemma, is due on September 12, which is the halfway point in the modified race, which runs from August 29 to September 20.

"At this stage in my career, I won't be doing many more tours, and I decided I should be racing," Porte said.

"Of course, that's not ideal or what I want. I have to be in the Tour and my sponsors have been really good to me. [It's] honestly the biggest sacrifice I can think of, but I'll be ready to go to the Tour."