Mark Cavendish will have a familiar figure by his side for his final Tour de France as Mark Renshaw joins Astana-Qazaqstan for the duration of the race as ‘a sprint and lead-out consultant.’
Renshaw served as Cavendish’s lead-out man for nine seasons during spells at Highroad, QuickStep and Dimension Data, earning a reputation as the peloton’s foremost exponent of the art. The Australian retired from racing at the end of the 2019 campaign. He served as safety manager for last year's World Championships in Wollongong.
“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 on Thursday in a statement released by the team.
“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.”
Cavendish confirmed last month that 2023 would be his final season as a professional rider. The Manxman signed for Astana in January after a transfer to B&B Hotels fell through due to the collapse of the team. He notched up his first victory in Astana’s colours when claimed the bunch sprint in Rome on the final day of the Giro d’Italia.
After equalling Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage victories on the 2021 Tour de France, Cavendish now has an opportunity to surpass that mark before his retirement. Speaking after the Tour presentation last October, Cavendish reckoned there were as many as “seven or eight” sprint opportunities on this year’s Tour.
“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,” Renshaw said.
Cavendish raced largely without an established sprint train at the Giro, but it is expected that fellow new arrival Cees Bol will serve as his last man at the Tour.
“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,” Renshaw said. “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.”
