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Tour de France 2020: Mark Renshaw in awe of Mark Cavendish for scaling the mountain for a second time

Updated 12/07/2021 at 13:27 GMT

"Somehow, he’s turned it around, and if anyone could do it, it was always going to be Mark Cavendish, so to see him back winning four stages in the Tour de France, I’m not shocked, but I’m in awe of what he’s achieved, knowing he came from rock bottom and climbed to the top of the ladder," Mark Renshaw said

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Somehow, he’s turned it around, and if anyone could do it, it was always going to be Mark Cavendish, so to see him back winning four stages in the Tour de France, I’m not shocked, but I’m in awe of what he’s achieved, knowing he came from rock bottom and climbed to the top of the ladder.

Mark Cavendish, Tour de France 2021

Image credit: Getty Images

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• Spring Classics

Mørkøv and Renshaw on Mark Cavendish: 'It's a winning formula for us'

As the British sprinter begins his 18th European season, we talk to Michael Mørkøv and Mark Renshaw on the power trio at the heart of Astana Qazaqstan

George Poole

Junior writer.

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As will be the case throughout 2024, Michael Mørkøv has barely left the side of Mark Cavendish

It has been a topsy-turvy two months for Astana Qazaqstan . Tour Colombia brought them two victories, but the UAE Tour delivered some disappointments and just one glance at the UCI points earned so far in 2024 will tell you that this is a team deep in a relegation battle.

Above all that, however, it is not the victories or lack of UCI points that define Astana Qazaqstan going into the coming races, including this week's Tirreno-Adriatico . Instead, the prevailing story is one of reunification and commitment around the greatest sprinter the sport has ever seen, Mark Cavendish .

Ploughing forward into his 18th professional season, the 38-year-old has a lead-out and staff almost completely built around his ambition of picking up at least one more historic victory in the Tour de France this July. Cees Bol was the first man brought in to help Cavendish ahead of the 2023 season and a year on, the Dutchman has been joined by an all-star cast.

Mark Renshaw's addition has been made permanent as a sports director after a dalliance as a sounding board during last year's Tour, Vasilis Anastopoulos is the team's new Head of Performance after an illustrious spell with Soudal Quick-Step , and to cap it off, Michael Mørkøv - the peloton's preeminent lead-out man - has rejoined Cavendish's side after a season spent apart.

Cavendish's career resurgence at the 2021 Tour de France was spearheaded by the domineering lead-outs of the Dane and for Renshaw, Mørkøv's brief spell with Astana Qazaqstan has already brought a smile to the face.

"It's been amazing because obviously he has worked with Cav for a long time, I worked with Cav for a long time, and he picked up the mantle of being one of the deluxe lead-out men in the peloton when I stopped," Renshaw told GCN at the recent UAE Tour.

"So it's been really enjoyable to work with him. I look at him and sometimes it's like looking into a mirror of my career, it's all about working for guys and delivering day in, day out. It's really enjoyable to work with him."

Read more: Mark Cavendish's 2024 Tour de France squad 'miles ahead' of 2023, says Mark Renshaw

As enjoyable as the short experience has been for Renshaw to work above Cavendish and as he noted himself, the Australian's replacement as the best lead-out man in the business, it has been a pleasure shared by Mørkøv.

"I am really happy, we clicked really well back in the days at Quick-Step and joining this team was just like being back on Quick-Step again," Mørkøv told GCN shortly after stage 6 of the UAE Tour.

After six seasons spent with Soudal Quick-Step and with the indomitable Tim Merlier still part of the Belgian setup, there was an air of expectation that the former Vuelta a España stage winner would close out his career in the ranks of Patrick Lefevere's team, but when his old teammate came a calling last summer, Mørkøv could not help but jump at the challenge.

Of course, Cavendish was scheduled to retire at the end of 2023, but his departure from the Tour de France with a fractured collarbone was not the note he wanted to end on in the race that has defined his career. Although the announcement that he was postponing retirement would wait until October, the Manxman's mind was made up far sooner than that.

"He called me the day after he crashed and I was pretty much committed from there, so I am happy to join him," Mørkøv noted.

The pair have yet to unite in classic fashion thus far in Astana Qazaqstan colours, not for a victory at least, but Mørkøv has more than seen enough to know that Cavendish still has what it takes at the top level.

Read more: 'Knowing I was valued is biggest factor in not retiring' says Mark Cavendish

'He absolutely has another Tour de France stage in him'

Cavendish opened up his account for 2024 at the Tour Colombia

The new season got off to a fantastic start for Astana Qazaqstan and Cavendish, with a third-place finish in the opening stage of Tour Colombia swiftly followed by the 163rd victory of the Manxman's career just three days later.

Read more: Opinion: Astana Qazaqstan's faith in Mark Cavendish will pay off at the Tour de France

It was a victory taken from the wheel of Bol, however, with Mørkøv plagued by misfortune and relegated to the penultimate helper for Cavendish on the day. The pair would race for the second time at the UAE Tour in late February, but this too saw misfortune befall the team.

Early comments from Cavendish and Renshaw fired the team into life on stage 5, in which Mørkøv produced a trademark lead-out that was only thwarted by a tricky headwind finish and early launch from the Manxman, but Cavendish was forced to abandon the race with a fever on the morning of stage 6.

Despite this, Gleb Syritsa stood up valiantly to produce the best performance of the week for the team, and Mørkøv had been given the confidence that the (admittedly ageing) double act still has what it takes to win at the highest level.

"He absolutely has another Tour stage in him," the 38-year-old said of Cavendish the day after their near-miss.

"Yesterday was a tough sprint but he was sprinting for victory and the sprints he did in Colombia, the way training is going is very good, so we can only be confident."

It is not hard to see where Mørkøv's confidence comes from. The Dane's own performances on stages 5 and 6 at the UAE Tour demonstrate that he still appears at the very top of his game, whilst Cavendish has already gotten off to winning ways in Colombia and showed no waning of his determination in the Middle East.

Read more: Mark Cavendish: I never lose motivation, I love this sport

With Renshaw overseeing the sprint, Anastopoulos heading up the team's performance and Davide Ballerini, Bol and Mørkøv to lead him out, there could be no more well-accustomed team around Cavendish to produce one last moment of heroics at the Tour de France.

Seemingly made for each other on the bike, Mørkøv and Cavendish are an unlikely double act off the bike as well, which can only aid their connection. Mørkøv may offer more sensibility and stoicism than Cavendish's ever-youthful enthusiasm and charisma, but together, the pair make for a fearsome partnership.

"We are at the same place in life, wife and kids at home and we have a lot of the same daily stuff going on," said Mørkøv. "I am just here for him, trying to help him win races and he takes advantage of me, so I think that's a winning formula for both of us."

Watch more: Mark Cavendish: You can't imagine how much cycling has changed

As Mørkøv and Cavendish try to take the first WorldTour win of the season for Astana Qazaqstan at this week's Tirreno-Adriatico, you can find everything you need to know about the race in our dedicated race hub .

Astana Qazaqstan Team

• Nationality Kazakhstan
• Founded 2006
• Team Principal Alexander Vinokourov
• UCI Code AST
• Bike Sponsor Wilier Triestina

Mark Cavendish

• Team Astana Qazaqstan Team
• Nationality United Kingdom
• UCI Wins 168
• Height 1.75m

Michael Mørkøv

• Nationality Denmark
• Height 1.83m

Tirreno-Adriatico

• Dates 4 Mar - 10 Mar
• Race Length 1,118 kms
• Race Category Elite Men

Wilier Triestina

Wilier Triestina is an Italian manufacturer of road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and e-bikes, based in Rossano Veneto in northern Italy.

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Based in the UK, George has been at GCN since 2021.

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Mark Renshaw Joins Astana Qazaqstan Team as the Sports Director

Mark Cavendish’s former lead-out rider will rejoin the Manx Missile in an effort to break the Tour de France stage win record.

For next year’s Tour de France, Renshaw will play an even bigger role. In a press release , Renshaw said, “I am very excited to be taking on a Director Sportif role with Astana Qazaqstan for the upcoming 2024 season. After working on the Tour de France alongside the staff and riders at Team Astana Qazaqstan I knew that I have more to give professional cycling.

“With the support of my amazing family, to get back into elite sport I believe I can help lead our talented riders to victories in some of the biggest and best races on the calendar.” One of those victories, of course, will hopefully be Mark Cavendish ’s 35th Tour de France stage win.

If anyone can help Cavendish reach his goal, it’s Renshaw. According to Cycling News , “[Renshaw] spent nine of his 15 years as a pro racing alongside Cavendish at Highroad, QuickStep, and Dimension Data, cementing himself as one of the top lead-out men in cycling as the duo racked up countless victories together.”

“We had a very good experience with Mark Renshaw during the Tour de France,” Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team said. “His help and advice were very useful not only in the matter of sprint issues but also in general in the matter of race strategy.

“We have a common vision on many things about the team development through the prism of conducting the races and preparation for it. So, I believe that having a young sports director with a different modern vision to cycling would help us to keep on improving.”

Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.

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Mark Renshaw: how to be a lead-out rider, and why he works so well with Mark Cavendish

What does it take to be a lead-out rider? Cycling Weekly spoke to Australian Mark Renshaw — one of the best in the peloton and Mark Cavendish's team-mate — to find out

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In front of every great sprinter is usually a great lead-out rider. Someone to safely navigate them through the chaos of a bunch finish, ensure they don’t waste energy they need for the sprint, keep them out of trouble, and get them to the perfect place so they can launch their attack and — hopefully — take the victory.

While the sprinter may be the one that takes the spoils, gets the trophies and enjoys the podium celebrations, often they wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for their lead out. It’s a selfless job but one that comes with responsibility — mess up and it’s not your own chance at a race win you could end, but that of your team-mate.

One of the peloton’s most experienced lead-out men is Mark Renshaw, chief lieutenant and right-hand man to Mark Cavendish . This season is the seventh the duo has raced together having first paired up at Colombia-HTC in 2009.

The 34-year-old Australian has been alongside the Manxman at almost all of his major career victories on the road; of Cavendish’s 30 Tour de France stage wins , Renshaw has played a role in 19 of them.

So what does Renshaw thinks are the key traits to being a lead-out rider?

“Experience — that’s probably the main thing. If you don’t have the experience then I suppose the feeling for positioning is probably the most important,” Renshaw told Cycling Weekly .

“I came from a sprinting background so I know what position you need to win, but I never had the legs to win. I know the position but I never had the power. I was always good over a longer sprint, I suppose that’s how I fell into doing lead-out. I just missed that little bit extra punch.”

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MARK CAVENDISH WINS STAGE TWENTY ONE OF THE 2009 TOUR DE FRANCE

Of course, having a good sprinter to pair with, Renshaw admits, does make him look even better at his job. Before Cavendish, Renshaw led-out Thor Hushovd at Credit-Agricole and though he says he did some of his best lead-outs then, the Norwegian didn’t have the same pure speed to always get the result like Cavendish.

“I probably did some of my best lead-outs for him as well but he didn’t have that pure speed that Cavendish has,” Renshaw says. “He was always second, third or fourth, probably coming from the best position but not having the best power.”

When HTC disbanded in 2011 Renshaw and Cavendish parted ways, before reuniting in 2014 at Omega Pharma-Quickstep and moving to Dimension Data together in 2016. This season however, both riders have been hampered by injury and illness – Cavendish has been out with glandular fever and hasn’t raced for three months, while Renshaw suffered an ankle injury in a crash at Scheldeprijs and only returned to racing at the Tour of California.

The duo are set to race together at the Tour of Slovenia (June 15-18) , with Cavendish hoping to prove his fitness to get selected for the Tour de France which starts in just over two weeks' time.

Such was Renshaw’s impact when he and Cavendish first paired up, that first season they partnered together is still the most prolific of Cavendish’s career so far with 22 wins. Though the Australian says the partnership didn’t “click straight away” recalling their first race on stage three of the Tour of California when he finished third and Cavendish fourth, they rectified things pretty quickly — Cavendish took wins the next two days.

“Our characteristics are complete opposite,” Renshaw says of their relationship. “That’s probably why it works really well in the race because one guy has one certain type of view and the other guy has another view and we meet somewhere in the middle. If you had two hot heads or two really calm guys it wouldn’t work.

“To be a sprinter you have to be aggressive because that’s what sprinting is. Leading out you have to be more patient and still have that little bit of aggressiveness, which is probably what my traits are.”

Now, the team directors will do most of the research before a race into the route and how the finale might pan out, with experienced riders like Renshaw, Cavendish and Bernie Eisel adding their thoughts. Yet while there may be a “perfect scenario” to how a sprint pans out, it doesn’t often work that way.

“More often than not you plan on the perfect scenario and it’s up to the riders to juggle on the run in and make it work,” Renshaw says, explaining he and Cavendish work almost entirely on instinct now.

“He leaves it up to me to make sure he’s in the right position,” Renshaw explains. “I try to look behind every now and then to make sure he’s there; if he loses the wheel he’ll yell out. If he can let me know quick enough then I can hesitate that moment and wait for him to come back. Otherwise there’s not so much talking going on.”

A lead out rider may be one of the highest pressured roles in cycling, where making split second decisions could mean the difference between winning or losing. But the high pressure isn’t a problem to Renshaw.

“That’s why I enjoy it, the part of the job I enjoy doing.”

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Mark Renshaw to join Astana Qazaqstan Team for coming Tour de France

Astana Qazaqstan Team is happy to announce that former sprinter Mark Renshaw reinforces the team at the Tour de France as a sprint and lead-out consultant. The 40-year-old Australian retired four years ago from cycling and is known as one of the peloton’s most experienced lead-out men. For nine years he was the right-hand man to Mark Cavendish.

“I am really thrilled to return to the Tour de France with Astana Qazaqstan Team and Mark Cavendish as a sprint and lead-out consultant. After discussing the possibility to join Astana Qazaqstan Team with Alexandr Vinokurov and my ex-teammate Dmitriy Fofonov, I am really looking forward to bringing my skillset to help the team chase success. Our goal is to secure victories in the sprint stages, and I am eager to share my knowledge and experience gained as a lead-out rider and teammate of Mark Cavendish” , – said Mark Renshaw .

Earlier this season Mark Cavendish won his 17th stage in the Giro.

“Mark’s recent victory in the Tour of Italy is proof that he still possesses the speed, power, and determination needed to win grand tour stages. With the support of Astana Qazaqstan Team and the talented riders selected for the race, I am confident that he has what it takes to win in this year’s Tour de France. I cancelled other jobs in July which shows my confidence in him. As we prepare for the important sprint stages, I am excited to work with the team’s Sports Directors to develop effective tactics and strategies, analyzing and breaking down sprint stages is something I absolutely love to do” , –continued Mark Renshaw .   “Mark’s career is already a big success, but I am excited to have the opportunity to help Mark finish his career on an absolute high and chase his 35th victory in the Grand Boucle”, – concluded Renshaw .

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Mark Renshaw to return to Tour de France with Astana Qazaqstan

Just as a sprint and lead-out consultant...right?

Yep, that’s the headline that dropped into our inboxes and also made us gasp. “Mark Renshaw to join Astana Qazaqstan team for coming Tour de France”.

He won’t be returning as a rider though, obviously, three years retired and now 40 years old. Instead, he’ll be joining the WorldTour outfit as a sprint and lead-out consultant. Dial the clock back one year and this news would make little sense. Why are Astana suddenly concerned with having their sprinting on point?

Well, since then they’ve lost the too hot to handle Miguel Ángel López and pivoted to becoming a last chance saloon for Mark Cavendish as he rounds out a glittering career with one last gambit at a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win.

Renshaw and Cavendish are old teammates, the former leading out the latter to many of his Tour stage victories. Even though Astana Qazaqstan are yet to unveil their eight-man squad for France, they don’t possess the sort of lead-out services that Cavendish has benefitted from previously in his career. The Dutch sprinter Cees Bol being the closest thing the Kazakh squad has to someone to rely on in the bunch sprint finales, having traditionally been a squad focused on winning uphill races.

“I am really thrilled to return to the Tour de France with Astana Qazaqstan Team and Mark Cavendish as a sprint and lead-out consultant,” Renshaw said in the announcement. “After discussing the possibility to join Astana Qazaqstan Team with Alexandr Vinokurov and my ex-teammate Dmitriy Fofonov, I am really looking forward to bringing my skillset to help the team chase success. Our goal is to secure victories in the sprint stages, and I am eager to share my knowledge and experience gained as a lead-out rider and teammate of Mark Cavendish.

“Mark’s recent victory in the Giro d’Italia is proof that he still possesses the speed, power, and determination needed to win Grand Tour stages,” Renshaw continued. “With the support of Astana Qazaqstan Team and the talented riders selected for the race, I am confident that he has what it takes to win in this year’s Tour de France. I cancelled other jobs in July which shows my confidence in him. As we prepare for the important sprint stages, I am excited to work with the team’s Sports Directors to develop effective tactics and strategies, analyzing and breaking down sprint stages is something I absolutely love to do.

“Mark’s career is already a big success, but I am excited to have the opportunity to help Mark finish his career on an absolute high and chase his 35th victory in the Grand Boucle.”

What can we glean from all of this? It’s being stated on the record that Cavendish is going for the Tour stage win record – something he’s been cagey about previously, preferring to deflect questions on eclipsing Eddy Merckx, who the Manx sprinter is currently tied with on 34 wins.

There’s also the point that Cavendish has felt the need to bring in extra support. He won a stage at the recent Giro but the Tour is another level up. Especially with a vastly inferior lead-out operation, he will need all the help he can get.

On the same day as the Renshaw news broke, Bora-Hansgrohe announced 7 of their 8-rider line-up for the Tour, none of whom were Cavendish’s fellow sprinter and former teammate Sam Bennett. The German squad also said the last place would go to a climber, so it looks like Cavendish will have one fewer top sprint name to contest the flat finales against come July.

Elsewhere, Astana Qazaqstan also announced a new commercial partner for the Tour, a Kazakhstani stockbroker called Freedom Broker. Should the firm have paid up to be a title sponsor, we may need a trip to the optometrists on account of how far our eyes will have rolled into the back of our heads.

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Astana Qazaqstan escapecollective Mark Cavendish Mark Renshaw Tour de France

Mark Cavendish and his 34 Tour de France stage wins – Gallery

Looking back on each and every victory that made his name as the race's greatest ever sprinter

Mark Cavendish is about to complete his chapter in cycling history.

As Cavendish starts his 14th and final Tour de France, he will be embarking on a quest to break the all-time stage win record set by Eddy Merckx. Yet, it won’t take a momentous 35th win to carve the Manxman in the annals of cycling history, indeed his legacy has been marked by his own era in the history of sprinting .

The 2023 Tour de France brings his remarkable relationship with the Tour to an end. Here we head down memory lane, from the precocious first four wins with Columbia, the HTC years with its well-oiled lead-out train, through to the brief stint at Team Sky, the less prolific QuickStep years, a more successful 2016 at Dimension Data, before his resurgent stint with Deceuninck-Quickstep in 2021.

While millions of cycling fans, and indeed even his sprinting compatriots like Dylan Groenewegen, will be cheering Cavendish to a hopeful record-breaking stage win, we can forever enjoy the 34 wins he has already etched into the race’s history.

So here is every win, with a photo and a quote from the man himself as well. Enjoy.

1.  2008 - Stage 5

Cholet – Châteauroux, 232km

In his second full season as a professional, and in his second Tour de France, a 23-year-old Cavendish sets the ball rolling with his first stage win. He has already followed up a brilliant debut season with major wins in the form of Scheldeprijs and two stages of the Giro d’Italia, but the Tour win propels him to new heights. 

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It’s a wide, slightly downhill finishing straight and late attacker Nicolas Vogondy is still out front when Cavendish notices his future lead-out man Mark Renshaw opening up for Thor Hushovd. He goes for a long sprint, taking that iconic aerodynamic position as he surges through the middle of the road to hold off Hushovd, along with Oscar Freire and Erik Zabel.

What he said: "It’s the biggest thing to happen to me without a doubt. To win a stage is massive and to win it so young is amazing."

2. 2008 - Stage 8 

Figeac – Toulouse, 172km

Three days later, in the next bunch sprint opportunity, Cavendish does it again. It’s a messy sprint on soaking wet roads in the south of France, and the Columbia train – and the front of the bunch in general – is disrupted by a right-hand bend at the flame rouge. QuickStep and Gert Steegmans end up leading out, but Cavendish violently bursts out from the shelter over to the right-hand side of the road. He holds his speed as the others fade, while his lead-out man Gerald Ciolek manages to follow him all the way to the line to make it a Columbia 1-2. 

What he said: “It was really fast and I had a bad place in the peloton. I had to go quite early so I gathered speed and went on until the line. It's a sensational finish especially as Gerald took second place. We now are the best team on this Tour."

3. 2008 - Stage 12

Lavelanet – Narbonne, 168km

Cavendish sprints with his right arm bandaged – a result of a collision with a stray football in the Pyrenees three days earlier. It doesn’t slow him down. Once again, QuickStep lead out the sprint and Cavendish, having taken Steegmans’ wheel, shows his anticipation by jumping a split-second before the Belgian can get out. It’s a fiercely sharp acceleration that takes him out front. The likes of Slyvain Chavanel start to come back but by that point Cavendish is celebrating.

What he said: "Today I was really tired, and for the team to put 100 per cent in me shows the faith they have, so I had to pay it back. All three wins came in different conditions. Today was the hardest of the wins but it was a win nonetheless."

4. 2008 - Stage 13

Narbonne – Nîmes, 182km

The dominance continues. As we wrote in our stage report: "The Cannonball is fast becoming the Cannibal in the sprints." This time Milram lead out for Zabel, and Cavendish is more of a free agent. He gets onto the train before ducking left onto Hushovd’s wheel. After a few moments, the road opens up in the centre-left and he hits out, once again hitting the line a bike length in front of a frustrated line of rivals.

What he said: "I sometimes do a bit of sprint training. I just ride my bike. I enjoy it. Track riding when I was younger definitely helped to develop my speed. I can hold my speed."

5. 2009 - Stage 2

Monaco – Brignoles, 187km

After winning Milan-San Remo in the spring, Cavendish strikes at the first opportunity at the Tour. It’s a hilly stage that ends in a messy sprint but still HTC manage to exert control, with George Hincapie and then Renshaw – an off-season signing – performing a fautless lead-out. Cavendish hits the wind early but never fades and Tyler Farrar cannot get close. He pulls on the green jersey for the first time.

What he said: "When the team goes so perfect, there can be only one result. We took control of the race and finished off in spectacular fashion. It's beautiful to wear the green jersey. It's emotional for me."

6. 2009 - Stage 3

Marseille - La Grande-Motte, 196.5km

The very next day, Cavendish makes it two, and it’s another show of dominance both from himself and his team, who split the peloton into a 30-man move in the crosswinds some 30km from the finish. Renshaw is there and this time takes him a little closer but the result is the same. Cavendish uses his thumb and pinky to mimic being on his phone in his victory salute – a nod to the team’s new sponsor HTC.

What he said: "We didn't plan it. It just so happened that we were at the front when the wind changed. It was left to just me and Mark Renshaw. He took me to 200 metres to go because of the headwind and didn't slow down at all. He kept the pace and I was able to swing right off his wheel to take my win."

7. 2009 - Stage 10

Limoges – Issoudun, 194.5km

This one is where it starts to almost look easy. Granted, the false flat sprint means this isn’t one of Cavendish’s faster sprints but it’s another uncomplicated Hincapie-Renshaw lead-out before Cavendish hits out just over 200 metres out. Hushovd is behind in green, having won the uphill sprint on stage 6, but can’t contemplate getting out of the slipstream.

What he said: "I was afraid of being jumped, like Petacchi did at the Giro. My saying now is, 'in doubt, hit out'."

8. 2009 - Stage 11

Vatan - Saint-Fargeau, 192km

This uphill finish is steeper and expected to offer the likes of Hushovd and Farrar a better shot, but Cavendish has the beating of them for the second time in two days. Milram try to muscle in on the lead-out but Cavendish still has Tony Martin, Hincapie, and Renshaw to make sure he only has to open up in sight of the line. He equals Barry Hoban’s British record of eight Tour de France stage wins.

What he said: "Normally, we have two guys in the last kilometre - today we had four, because they had to deliver me later. I kept the gear small. I was sprinting in the 13 or 14 [sprocket] instead of the 11, and I was able to get the jump."

9. 2009 - Stage 19

Bourgoin-Jallieu – Aubenas, 178km

Cavendish’s copybook has been blotted slightly by his relegation for irregular sprinting on stage 14 and a war of words with Hushovd over the battle for the green jersey, with the Norwegian sweeping up intermediate sprints in the mountain stages to take control. However, Cavendish responds resoundingly with a long-range sprint at the end of a hard stage. Rabobank had tried to ride him out of it on the late cat-2 climb but he hangs on and, despite an early handover from Renshaw, still leaves Hushovd et bashing their bars in frustration.

What he said: "It was really, really grim on the climb. I said the top of the climb was my finish line, and anything after that was going to be a bonus. It was one of the hardest sprints I've had to do, and it made it quite emotional at the finish."

10. 2009 - Stage 21

Montereau - Paris, 164km

This is one of the defining sprints in Mark Cavendish’s career. Even if there were no doubts over his speed, some still expressed reservations over his versatility and robustness. Milan-San Remo had swung the argument in his favour but getting through the mountains and winning on the 21st and final day puts it to bed. He becomes the 12th rider in history to win six stages at a single Tour, and setting of the Champs Elysées adds lustre to the achievement. And then there’s the sprint itself. There’s clear daylight. There’s pretty much a one-second gap. From the thrilling side-on shot, his rivals aren’t even in the frame. Cavendish is in a league of his own.

What he said: "When we came around that last corner, to be honest, I was sh**ting myself. It was scary, it was tight. But I just followed: if he [Renshaw] thought it was okay, I'd be okay, and we were okay. To cross the line with your hands in the air, in view of the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most spectacular feelings you're supposed to have, and for sure, it didn't disappoint me today."

11. 2010 - Stage 5

Epernay - Montargis, 187.5km

After an unconvincing start, with a crash on stage 1 and 12th place on stage 4, Cavendish gets his Tour rolling with a fine sprint in Montargis. There’s no big HTC train as Garmin dominate the lead-out, but the sprint underlines the important of Renshaw. Garmin make a mess of the final handover for Farrar, just as Renshaw muscles his way through to drop Cavendish off in the centre of the road with 200 metres to go.

What he said: "It's incredibly emotional. All the pressure and emotion built up but it's finally over. Thing didn't go our way yesterday. I let them down massively and it would have been easy for them to say 'He hasn't got it' like other people did. But they rode for me."

12. 2010 - Stage 6

Montargis - Gueugnon, 227.5km

Cavendish doubles up in similar fashion. It’s a messy, bendy final kilometre, and Garmin look to have taken control, even getting a slight gap in the final 500 metres. But their chosen sprinter Robbie Hunter finds himself in the wind too early, and looks over to see Renshaw calmly dragging Cavendish up. Hunter jumps on but by then there’s nothing to be done as Cavendish jumps on the inside and shows everyone another clean pair of heels.

What he said: "The guys were perfect. We had four guys for the lead-out and we had to jump from behind one of the other teams. Renshaw kept his cool and jumped off Lampre's train and took me to about 150 metres to go... it was great."

13. 2010 - Stage 11

Sisteron - Bourg-lès-Valence, 184.5km

This one is overshadowed by Mark Renshaw’s disqualification from the race for headbutting Garmin’s Julian Dean in the final kilometre. The Australian had become territorial and, seeing it himself, Cavendish decides not to risk getting boxed in and hits out from distance. It’s a searing sprint, quickly opening up multiple bike lengths. Petacchi and Farrar start to make up ground towards the end but it’s win number three.

What he said: "Normally I go with 200 or 250 maximum and at 375 metres to go I saw a gap... it wasn't so much a sprint but a little breakaway."

14. 2010: Stage 18

Salies-de-Béarn - Bordeaux, 198km

Cavendish proves he can do it without Renshaw. Team Sky dominate the final kilometres before Cervélo lead out for Hushovd. Cavendish sets up stall on the green jersey’s wheel but dives over to Petacchi when the Italian jumps early. Cavendish is soon hitting out himself and it’s utterly convincing. He spends most of the final 50 metres looking around at the riders in his wake. 

What he said: "I only want to win, not matter by how much. When Petacchi went, I thought, that's it. But then it was pretty easy."

15. 2010 - Stage 20

Longjumeau - Paris, 102.5km

Another final-day victory on the Champs Elysées, another absolute annihilation. His lead-out is again more a case of dropping him on a rival’s wheel, and he comes through the Place de la Concorde chicane in a good position. Like the previous year, the side-on shot is staggering, as Cervélo look to be leading out until Cavendish pings into the frame and out into the lead as if propelled by an elastic band. The difference in speed is striking and, although he wins by fewer bike lengths than 2009, it’s nevertheless a show of complete superiority.

What he said: "Every sprint in the Tour you try and save as much energy as possible, but the Champs-Élysées, you've got nothing to save your energy for - you just go balls-out to the line, and that's kind of what I did today."

16. 2011 - Stage 5

Carhaix - Cap Fréhel, 158km

After another difficult start to the Tour, Cavendish once again makes an emphatic statement. Unhappy with the nature of the opening stages, this one doesn’t even really suit him, with a messy false flat sprint among puncheurs like Philippe Gilbert, José Joaquin Rojas, and even Geraint Thomas. Cavendish hits out early, coming from towards the back of the group around the right-hand side to hit the front and nab it on the line. You can almost sense Gilbert’s shock when he looks over.

What he said:  “The organisers made it hard for us to have a bunch sprint in the first week of the Tour this year – that's because we dominated last year and they tried to make a handicap for us. You can see what sort of finish it was. It was proper hard. My legs were going, going, going... I'm really happy. It's just good that we came out against adversity.”

17. 2011 - Stage 7

Le Mans - Châteauroux, 215km

The HTC train is back. Not part of the sprint the previous day, Cavendish is given an armchair ride to the finish as four riders peel off in turn. Greipel tries to steal a march with an early sprint on the right but Cavendish times it right and manages to hold off Petacchi on the left to win Châteauroux, scene of his first Tour triumph in 2008. He’s now on 17.

What he said:  "This is a very special day for me. This was the one sprint that I really wanted apart from the one Paris because of its significance to me.”

18. 2011 - Stage 11

Blaye-les-mines - Lavaur, 168km

Cavendish is out to reassert his dominance after being beaten by Greipel on stage 10 – his first direct defeat in a Tour de France sprint (previously, the sprints he hasn’t won, he hasn’t really contested). It’s a messy run-in in the rain but Renshaw calmly guides Cavendish into position and he makes no mistake. Greipel hits out on the left but has to dive back into Cavendish’s slipstream and is unable to exit it.

What he said:  "When the guys ride like they did yesterday and then I don't finish the job it's hard to take. But then I go out and make sure I win. I made the mistake of not hitting it hard yesterday. My danger is my acceleration and if I do that, I get a gap and can hold it."

19. 2011 - Stage 15

Limoux - Montpellier, 187km

The train is rolled out again and Peter Velits does an important turn up a kicker in the final kilometre, allowing Renshaw to take Cavendish to 200 metres. He hits out on the inside, shadowed by Daniel Oss, and uses his aerodynamic position to hit the line first. Farrar and Petacchi challenge on the outside but nothing doing.

What he said:  "It was a technical finish, incredibly difficult with the wind. We were fighting with the GC riders in the final kilometers. It's really not normal. But the guys kept together and I'm so, so proud of them."

20. 2011 - stage 21

Créteil - Paris, 95km

Cavendish wins on the Champs Elysées for a third year in a row, this time in the green jersey, winning the points classification for the first time. It’s far less one-sided than his previous two in Paris, as Edvald Boasson Hagen nearly matches his initial kick, but it caps another big Tour de France haul, making him the first rider to win at least four stages in four straight Tours. The tally stands at 20.

What he said:  “I’ve been trying to get the green jersey for the past few years and finally I’ve done it.”

21. 2012 - Stage 2

Vise - Tournai, 207.5km

A big change as Cavendish, wearing the rainbow jersey after his victory at the Worlds in Copenhagen, moves to Team Sky following the disbandment of HTC. There are question marks surrounding the level of support he’ll receive, with no room for his old sprint train in a team geared around Bradley Wiggins. Still, Cavendish hits the ground running, winning in the Tour’s first sprint. Lotto lead it out for Greipel but Cavendish bides his time in the headwind and pips the German to the line.

What he said:  “I wasn’t really that optimistic about winning anything here. It’s the Tour de France. It’s a bit difficult to do things alone here, you know, so I’ve been pretty relaxed coming here.”

22. 2012 - Stage 18

Blagnac - Brive-la-Gaillarde, 222.5km

This is another of the ones that ranks right up there in the pantheon of Cavendish victories. He’s been next to anonymous in the intervening sprint stages, as Sky put all their eggs into defending Wiggins’ yellow jersey, but he asks for a chance here, and takes it. He actually gets a helping hand from Wiggins, and then from Edvald Boasson Hagen, but there is still so so much more to do. Luis-León Sánchez and Nicolas Roche are still away from the break in the final 400 metres, and Cavendish sprints long into the slipstream before pinging out to the right-hand side of the road. The likes of Matt Goss and Peter Sagan are left trailing by metres.

What he said:  “It's been great to be a part of this team but it obviously puts me in a difficult situation. It's like Wayne Rooney playing in defence. You can still win the match, but you can't do your part of it to the best of your ability. But today we set it up and I scored the goal.”

23. 2012 - stage 20

Rambouillet - Paris, 120km

Despite never sitting comfortably within his team, the Tour nevertheless has a perfect ending for both parties. For the third year in a row, Cavendish triumphs on the Champs Elysées on the final day, his rainbow jersey adding to the sense of occasion. What’s more, he’s led out by none other than the yellow jersey, Wiggins, who hits the front along the Rue de Rivoli before Boasson Hagen does the final handover. A long sprint, but Cavendish prevails for one of the victories he still looks back on most fondly to this day.

What he said:  "It’s incredible what we’ve achieved today. It was an honour to have the yellow jersey leading me out. Bradley told me he’d go full gas to the last kilometre and then Edvald led me into the last corner. The finish couldn’t have been more perfect – no better end to this Tour.”

24. 2013 - Stage 5

Cagnes-sur-Mer - Marseille, 228.5km

Despite the perfect end to the previous year’s Tour, Cavendish leaves Sky after just one season and joins the Belgian squad now known as Deceuninck-QuickStep. He strikes 11 times before the Tour, including five at the Giro, but struggles in the opening stages with illness and crashes. In Marseille, he has a dedicated lead-out at his service once again, and Niki Terpstra, Matteo Trentin, and Gert Steegmans combine to drop him off. It’s a controlled sprint in that aero position to hold off Sagan and Greipel, while Boasson Hagen sucks the slipstream for second place.

What he said:     "Steegmans stayed patient and he went so fast I have to say I didn't even really have to accelerate off his wheel. I just carried on the speed he took me to and only for the last 250 meters and that was it.”

25. 2013 - Stage 13

Tours - Saint-Amand-Montrond, 173km

One of the more atypical Cavendish wins, highlighting his versatility. After a string of near misses in the bunch sprints, he goes and wins from a group of 10. Crosswinds shatter the bunch and Cavendish, who has to produce an all-out sprint just to make the front echelon, enters the final kilometre planted on the wheel of Sagan. QuickStep use their numerical advantage, with Chavanel leading the way before swinging off early, at which point Sagan finds himself in the wind and starts to move aside. Cavendish pounces, and never looks back.

What he said:   " When echelons form it’s similar to falling through ice... you've got five seconds to save yourself or it's all over. I sprinted across the gap, then we were gone. We're a Belgian team and we're used to racing in crosswinds. I knew I'd be able to get it if I stayed behind Sagan in the sprint and I did."

26. 2015 - Stage 7

Livarot - Fougères, 190.5km

After the heartbreak of crashing out on home soil on the opening day of the 2014 Tour, Cavendish endures a tough time of it in 2015. Andre Greipel – a rider he once termed a winner of ‘shit small races’ – dominates the sprints, but Cavendish comes out on top in Fougères. It’s a late sprint on an uphill drag and, after taking the wheel of Kristoff, he leaps onto Greipel when the German opens up, before bursting around on the inside.

What he said:  “We’ve had some near misses in the past days after the team has worked so hard for me, so for them to keep the faith like that was incredible. It’s so nice to get the win today.”

27. 2016 - Stage 1

Mont-Saint-Michel - Utah Beach, 188km

Another major milestone in the Cavendish career as he pulls on the yellow jersey for the first time. There are question marks surrounding his off-season move from QuickStep to Dimension Data, the African team who were previously a second-division outfit. But they are wiped away on the opening day with a massively impressive victory. He looks over his shoulder, watching out for Marcel Kittel, but takes the initiative when Sagan jumps, tracking the world champion left then right, before moving to the front with the staying power to hold off Kittel.

What he said:  “It's quite emotional. This is the only jersey in cycling I've not worn. I've had all three points jerseys, the worlds jerseys and the leaders jerseys in the Giro and the Vuelta and now this. I just wanted to win the stage and to wear this jersey is an honour. I've built my whole career on this race."

28. 2016 - Stage 3

Granville - Angers, 223.5km

After losing the yellow jersey on the uphill stage 2 finish, Cavendish strikes again on stage 3 in one of the closer finishes of his career. Renshaw is up there with him but he decides to plant himself on Greipel’s wheel and manages to spend a good six seconds in the slipstream as the German opens his sprint. When Cavendish hits the wind, it’s a slog, as he draws alongside the German but can’t muscle past. They lunge for the line, Greipel raises his arm, but the photo finish give the celebrations to Cavendish.

What he said:  “I thought I had it but you never know, you have to wait. I knew I’d have to come from behind. That’s why I wanted to be behind Greipel. Last year after I didn’t win the first sprint I was nervous and maybe went too soon in the following stages and I thought that might be the same for Greipel here.”

29. 2016 - Stage 6

Arpajon-sur-Cère - Montauban, 190.5km

The 2016 Tour saw some of Cavendish’s most intelligent sprinting and his third stage win in six days is no different. In a twisty and chaotic finale in Montauban, Cavendish once again plants himself on a German wheel. This time it’s Kittel, and he stays well hidden as his rival is forced early into the wind. He hits out with 200 metres to go and moves to the front, sealing it with a bike throw as the others start to come back. It takes him clear of Bernard Hinault into outright second on the all-time stages record.

What he said: "I wanted Kittel's wheel. I was fighting and fighting for Kittel's wheel. Because it was slightly downhill, I put on a bigger gear again and I just went. Actually, I maxed out, I should have put a bigger gear on.”

30. 2016 - Stage 14

Montélimar - Villars-les-Dombes, 208.5km

Cavendish joins the 30 club and bags his first four-stage haul since 2011. QuickStep make a better fist of this lead-out but Cavendish once again manoeuvres his way into prime position. There’s footage from the Orica car, where DS Matt White asks who’s on Kittel’s wheel. When he’s told it’s Cavendish, he instantly states: “Cav’s gonna win then.” It’s another pretty close one, and Kittel complains he’s cut up, but Cavendish is in dreamland.

What he said: "I saw QuickStep hit out quite early and I knew Kittel would be left on front quite soon in the headwind, so I knew I had to wait wait wait, let him die, then come round him. He’s kicked off a bit but I was way past him, like. I think he’s just frustrated I’ve won four and he hasn’t.”

31. 2021 - Stage 4

Redon - Fougères, 150.4km

Mark Cavendish wasn't even supposed to be at the 2021 Tour de France. He is added as a late replacement for Sam Bennett who had suffered a knee injury in training. Stage 4 looks as if it won't even be a sprint, with solo attacker Brent Van Moer holding a 22-second lead with 2km to go, but the Belgian's hopes are dashed when the Alpecin-Fenix team of race leader Mathieu van der Poel bring him back with just 250m to go. 

Cavendish, starting his acceleration, has to stop pedalling for a moment to get around Van Moer but then launches again on the slight uphill final 200m, holding off Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix). After a five-year drought and so close to retirement last year, it is understandably an emotional moment for Cavendish, who dissolves into tears of relief, disbelief and joy.

What he said: I don't know what to say. Just being here is special enough, you know? I didn't think I'd get to come back to this race, but the stars aligned. So many people didn't believe in me, and these guys do. I never ever want bad things to happen to other people but after the last year it's just nice to have some good luck and health."

32. 2021 - Stage 6

Tours - Châteauroux,160.4km

All eyes are on Cavendish as the race heads to the scene of his first-ever Tour de France stage win, and he delivers the romantic storyline. His team dominate the closing kilometres and he follows lead-out man Michael Morkov to the last 500 metres but the Alpecin-Fenix lead-out train storms through. Cavendish jumps onto the wheel of Jasper Philipsen, then hits out around the right of the Belgian's lead-out man Tim Merlier before coming back alongside and getting out in front. He raises his hands to his head to replicate the celebration from 13 years ago. 

What he said: "Don’t say the name [Merckx]! I'm not thinking about anything. I just won a stage of the Tour de France. If that was my first stage or my 32nd stage, I've just won a stage of the Tour. That's what people work their whole lives for, I'm very happy. If I'm good enough to win 50, then I'm good enough to win 50, If I'm not good enough to win again, so be it.”

33. 2021 - Stage 10

Albertville - Valence, 190.7km

Cavendish makes it three, and recognises that he really didn't need to do much at all. He is given a lead-out that would rival that of the HTC years, with Julian Alaphilippe, Mattia Cattaneo, Kasper Asgreen, Davide Ballerini, and Michael Morkov all peeling off in turn. Morkov only has to hit the wind from 250 metres out, and Cavendish himself only starts sprinting from inside 150 metres. Jasper Philipsen and Wout van Aert are there, but he almost can't lose.

What he said: "Old school, run of the mill, like you read in a cycling magazine, textbook lead-out. We just got the lads on the front and pulled as fast as they can so no one can come up and try to come past in the finish. I just had to finish it off. I didn't really do anything - I did 150 metres - it was the team I have to thank for everything."

34. 2021 - Stage 13

Nîmes-Carcassonne, 219.9km

Mark Cavendish looked as if he'd gotten it all wrong on stage 13 to Carcassonne, losing the wheel of lead-out man Michael Mørkøv in the tricky, technical final 300m. It looked as if Mørkøv might nab his first Tour de France stage until Cavendish powered out of the final turn and overhauled him just ahead of the line. Mørkøv held on for second.

The effort clearly cost Cavendish and he remarked more about how deep he had to go to get the victory than reflecting on equalling the long-held Eddy Merckx record of 34 Tour stage wins.

What he said: "I haven't realized. It's still just another win on the Tour de France, it's like my first one. I've won a stage of the Tour de France, it's what I've dreamed of as a kid. It's what I dream of now. I've worked so hard for it."

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Patrick is an NCTJ-trained journalist, and former deputy editor of Cyclingnews, who has seven years’ experience covering professional cycling. He has a modern languages degree from Durham University and has been able to put it to some use in what is a multi-lingual sport, with a particular focus on French and Spanish-speaking riders. Away from cycling, Patrick spends most of his time playing or watching other forms of sport - football, tennis, trail running, darts, to name a few, but he draws the line at rugby.

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Mark Cavendish’s 2024 Tour de France squad ‘miles forward’ of 2023, says Mark Renshaw

With Vasilis Anastopoulos as his coach, Michael Mørkø v as his closing man, and Davide Ballerini within the lead-out, Mark Cavendish ‘s supporting crew for the 2024 Tour de France has the look of a best hits album, and sports activities director Mark Renshaw believes his Astana Qazaqstan group is night time and day from the one which rode the Tour this yr.

“It is miles forward,” says Renshaw as he sits down with GCN at Astana Qazaqstan’s winter coaching camp in Altea, Spain.

“Having Mørkøv along with his expertise, having Ballerini, Cees Bol , Alexey Lutsenko – he made a superb distinction on the finish of the Tour final yr for Cees Bol – Yevgeniy Federov … we have now some actually robust riders who’re morphing into extra skilled riders.”

Learn extra: ‘Knowing I was valued is biggest factor in not retiring’ says Mark Cavendish

The group is one through which Renshaw is relishing getting the chance to work full-time, after initially appearing as a sprinting advisor for the squad at this yr’s Tour. Though Cavendish’s early departure from the race left Astana empty-handed, Renshaw’s impression left an impression and he has joined as a sports activities director for 2024.

Having served as a lead-out rider for Cavendish with HTC-Highroad, Quick-Step and Dimension Information, delivering him to quite a few wins iover the course of a decade, Renshaw is best positioned than anybody to clarify the significance of getting a confirmed lead-out rider in Mørkøv on the group.

“Having Mørkøv there lifts all people, as a result of if you’re a superb sprinter and you’ve got a superb lead-out, it actually places the strain to ship, as a result of 9 occasions out of 10, Mørkøv goes to place him within the excellent place,” says Renshaw.

“There’s no excuse, you’ve been delivered a straight view of the road and there’s nobody impeding you, so it’s important to step up. Riders will raise with that.”

Each Mørkøv and Ballerini had been in Fast-Step’s imperious lead-out practice that helped Cavendish to win 4 levels of the 2021 Tour de France, the race through which the Manxman made his sudden return to profitable methods on the game’s grandest stage.

Now degree with Eddy Merckx on 34 Tour de France stage victories, there will be actual optimism that Cavendish can surpass the good Belgian in 2024. Not solely have Astana Qazaqstan assembled a profitable group of outdated across the sprinter, however the 38-year-old already confirmed at this yr’s race that age is not any barrier to his competitiveness towards the likes of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Learn extra: Opinion: Astana Qazaqstan’s faith in Mark Cavendish will pay off at the Tour de France

Three years Cavendish’s senior, Renshaw will now attempt to information his outdated good friend to history-making success from the group automobile reasonably than his wheel, however his face lights up when requested what it will imply to assist his former teammate to win quantity 35 subsequent July.

“I delivered him 18-odd occasions already,” Renshaw says, referring to their era-defining exploits. “So to be in a special function and serving to can be superb.”

Max Kanter to guide Astana Qazaqstan at Tour Down Underneath

In fact, 2024 won’t all be about Cavendish for Renshaw and Astana Qazaqstan, and within the squad group boss Alexandr Vinokourov has assembled, there’s a lot for the Australian to look ahead to in his first yr as a full-time employees member.

Alongside the additions of Ballerini and Mørkøv, Astana Qazaqstan have additionally invested in Rüdiger Selig from Lotto Dstny and Max Kanter from Movistar. The 2 Germans have already began to construct their rapport with each other in coaching, and of their blossoming partnership, Renshaw sees the chance for Kanter to win his first professional race in 2024.

“They’re going to work rather well collectively. Max is at a stage in his profession the place he must win races, he’s been seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths… however now he must win races. In order that strain for him will raise up his kind.”

Driving for Sunweb on the 2020 Vuelta a España, Kanter on the cusp of his breakthrough as a frontline sprinter, however three podiums left the German empty-handed and now, aged 26, Kanter has suffered two disappointing seasons with Movistar. Within the upcoming Tour Down Underneath, nonetheless, he could have his first alternative to repay the religion proven in him by his new suitors.

“At one level at the moment, we had [Gleb] Syritsa, Kanter, Cavendish all going full fuel. It takes me again however it additionally scares the shit out of me, there’s a lot funding on this expertise they usually’re laying all of it on the road in coaching,” Renshaw admits.

City signal sprints are mentioned to have been standard inside the Astana ranks.

“However this type of state of affairs goes to place you on the entrance foot for January. So when Max goes to the Tour Down Underneath, he’s already needed to make quick-thinking selections, they’re racing out on the streets.”

Learn extra: Stuart O’Grady expecting an ‘epic finale’ at Tour Down Under

Renshaw sees loads of potential winners in Astana Qazaqstan’s squad for subsequent season

By way of talismans comparable to Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López and Fabio Aru, Astana had been by no means wanting wins all through the 2010s, however the previous few seasons have been a battle for the Kazakh aspect and, till the arrival of Cavendish, had seen them lacking a transparent id.

Astana Qazaqstan will finish 2023 a lowly twentieth place within the UCI’s group rankings, under ProTeams Lotto Dstny (ninth) and Israel-Premier Tech (sixteenth), however Renshaw believes that his group can end “anyplace between the highest 10-15 groups within the WorldTour” subsequent season.

“Ten to fifteen victories is achievable, and I might prefer to say a number of wins on the Tour de France and different WorldTour one-day races,” he says. “I feel if our top-10 riders mixed with the opposite top-10 riders from the opposite groups, they’re nearly as good. We do not have the depth of some groups, however our top-10 riders go face to face with among the different groups, no downside.”

Somewhat than solely counting on established execs comparable to Cavendish and Lutsenko for wins, Renshaw is eager to focus on Bol, Syritsa and Ballerini as three riders who might all grasp the possibility when alternatives fall their means.

“Gleb Syritsa is simply an absolute machine,” he says of the 23-year-old Russian. “You see him and he simply seems to be highly effective and robust, now we simply have to put him in clear air and that’s all he must do.

“Cees is fast sufficient and adequate to win in races main up [to the Grand Tours], Ballerini within the Classics, we actually have plenty of avenues we’re chasing now.”

Renshaw eager to share worthwhile expertise as household inexperienced mild his return to Europe

Renshaw had been away from skilled biking – bar the odd commentary look – since he hung up his cleats in 2019, however the Australian and his household determined the time was proper to throw himself again right into a full-time job following the success of his brief spell with Astana at this yr’s Tour.

“Clearly, Cavendish actually wished me to assist, particularly at this yr’s Tour as a result of he was new to the group,” Renshaw says. “He’d solely been right here a number of months and he wanted any individual from which he might belief the choices. I feel I actually introduced some huge steps ahead to the group so far as analysing and making ready for sprints.”

Renshaw admits, nonetheless, that it’s “more durable than ever” to depart his household, which incorporates his spouse Kristina, and three kids. From staying in Australia for 3 years with out travelling, to visiting Europe 3 times previously 5 months, Renshaw’s new place has taken some adjusting to.

Learn extra: Homesickness, solo parenting and changed perspectives – the experience of fatherhood as a professional cyclist

However much more so than her acceptance of the brand new circumstances, Kristina’s encouragement and blessing for a full-time return to the business has been important for Renshaw.

“The choice was, I had this chance to return again in, and I actually wished to share a few of my expertise and information. My spouse noticed my face on the primary stage of the Tour de France and mentioned, ‘yeah, you’re meant to be again in there.’

“I did some commentary with SBS for the Giro and Vuelta, and that made me completely happy, however now being again on the bottom, it’s one other degree.”

For effectively over an hour in Spain, Renshaw made his rounds chatting with the entourage of press who had gathered within the group’s lodge. If his heat smile, generosity of time and introspective solutions are something to go by, the Australian shall be a welcome returnee to the European fold in 2024.

Add on his palmarès, ambitions and know-how, and it appears clear that Astana Qazaqstan are going to be the gleeful beneficiaries of his presence quickly sufficient.

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