Ahead of the 2016 season Porte highlighted the Tour de France and the Olympic road race and time trial as his targets for the year. He started his season strongly in Australia, finishing second to new teammate Rohan Dennis in the Australian National Time Trial Championships before going to the Tour Down Under, where he took his first victory in BMC colours by winning stage 5 to Willunga Hill for the third year in a row and finished second overall. He subsequently struggled in the Tour of Oman in February, losing over three minutes to the leaders on each of the first two stages, before bouncing back upon returning to Europe, taking third place in the general classification at Paris–Nice after attacking the last stage's final climb alongside Alberto Contador followed by an overall fourth place in the Volta a Catalunya. Following his third place at Paris-Nice, Porte spent one week as world number 1, during the period in which the new rankings system was forming. Porte targeted the Tour de France, but lost time early on with a mechanical problem on stage 2. Along with Bauke Mollema and Froome he was leading an attack up Mont Ventoux which involved all three riders being taken down when a motorcycle suddenly stopped in front of them disrupting the performance of all three riders and causing the ensuing chaos which involved Chris Froome running up Mont Ventoux. He rallied to perform well in the mountains and individual time trials, finishing fifth overall, his highest Grand Tour placing so far.