Mark Renshaw

It's time for Rabobank to deliver a sprint win

Published:

May 9, 00:11,

Updated:

May 9, 07:10

By:

Mark Renshaw

Mark on the changing sprint game, Ferrari and the TTT

It's been an interesting Giro so far. We may have been in Denmark but realistically, the finishes were what you come to expect from the Giro, particularly yesterday with the circuit at the end of the stage – lots of corners and definitely hectic.

Starting with the prologue, personally I took it a little bit easy just to save my legs for the first two road stages. It was decided that for stage 2 the team would pull for Theo. We tried to set the sprint up for him but unfortunately, he had William Bonnet come underneath and force him wide therefore underlapping my wheel and crashing. I thought we may have been going too fast for the corner so there wasn't much I could do other then break slightly. I was still happy to finish sixth. I had 50 metres to change my mindset and come up with a plan. In the end I decided to wait, then try and follow – at one point I had a gap on the right and I should have gone – so I paid the price and got stuck in the wheels. I was happy to still finish in the top 10 after changing my mindset within two seconds of Theo's crash.

The stage 3 wash-up has had its fair share of headlines but I think the UCI really need to look at sprinting. Ferrari's move was kamikaze and very bad on his behalf. The penalties need to be stricter. The relegation wasn't enough. I got made an example of a few years ago in the Tour de France. This was a real chance for the UCI to take a stand against those who deviate off their sprinting line. This year we've got more teams with more sprinters who are able to win. To have guys riding like that is just not acceptable.

What we saw in Denmark was a lot of the GC teams trying to stay in front because of the wind and the corners. While things generally improve over the final three kilometres of a stage like we had on Monday, we still have a lot of teams and a lot of riders taking risks. Everyone needs to concentrate on sprinting straight because at the moment, we just have too many kamikazes.

The one thing that has become increasingly obvious given the calibre of sprinters that we have at this first grand tour of the year, is that what Highroad managed to achieve in regards to their leadout is going to be seriously hard to replicate.

In 2011, we had the leadout down pat. Everybody knew their position and their role. Have a look at the results from stage 2 on Sunday and you have Cavendish, Goss and I all in the top six – that was the leadout for the Tour de France last year. It's obvious that what we had last year was exceptional. Since Highroad fell apart, there seems to be a lot less respect for each team during the leadout. On Monday we saw Sky try and take control and yet still there were riders coming underneath on the corners. When Highroad was in action, other teams would base their sprint on riding off the back of us and their tactic was to wait until the last minute. This year it's a case of going to the front and if it's detrimental to the team doing the lead out, then it doesn't seem to matter.

Heading into the team time trial on Wednesday, Rabobank has a strong team. If we finish in the top six, then we'll be pretty happy. I'm expecting Sky, Garmin and BMC to be the strongest.

There is another sprint stage for me coming up on Thursday and I'm in good shape. We're down in Italy now so the real Giro starts. We will have to see what the plan is. Theo fell quite hard and we've had other riders crash. One thing is for sure; in the next two sprint stages I'll have one chance for a result. Rabobank want to press ahead with both sprinters, they don't want to pick one. We just need to be honest with each other and go for the best rider on the day and we'll see how it pans out. On Monday I had Brown help me until two kilometres to go. It's hard when we can't get three or four guys together but hopefully we can after tomorrow.

We have made a big improvement at Rabobank the last few months with the sprint team. We now need to get it right and start delivering the results.

I hope the next week at the Giro is kind to us.

I'm going to the Giro to win stages

Published:

May 2, 23:50,

Updated:

May 2, 23:50

By:

Mark Renshaw

Hitting his stride in Turkey, Mark believes Rabobank is adapting

The Tour of Turkey was a last-minute change to the program but it worked out quite well. Originally I had planned to ride Romandie but there were no stages for the sprinters. Turkey was a really good preparation race for the Giro – eight days of reasonably flat roads, good hotels and nice weather. To win a stage there, and a hard stage at that, was a big boost to the confidence.

It was an honour to win on ANZAC Day and nice to win against Matt Goss because we've seen he is one of the most dominant sprinters on a hard stage like that where there's a lot of climbing – he's a specialist. As for the win itself, I was confident but I didn't want to celebrate until I'd been given the green light. I felt I had got the throw a tenth of a second before he did; often it comes down to the rider who can reach just that little bit extra. Although, I will admit it did cross my mind that he had just got his handlebars in front of me so I guess a bit of my old track experience paid off.

To win a stage and then finish third, fourth and fifth – along with dropping off Theo for his two wins has me feeling confident. It shows that I'm competitive and recovering well each day. All important signs when it comes to the Giro.

It has been a tough road to get to that all-important first win but in no way am I wavering from my plan to be Rabobank's top sprinter. Theo's won twice in Turkey and a good ride in Schelderprijs but I think when you come to a race like to the Giro, it's another level.

A few people have asked me about the comments made by Jan Boven in regards to me being the best option to lead out Theo. I'm going to the Giro to win stages. Theo may get a lead out early in the Giro but I believe I have the form and I'm a sprinter that's capable of winning Grand Tour stages. The team has confidence in me and I've said all along that I didn't come over to Rabobank to be a lead out man, I haven't done the work to be a lead out man. My training's changed and it's just unfortunate that leading out is something that does come quite easy to me – if only winning stages was as easy. I just need Mark Renshaw to lead me out. I'm always looking for the next one.

I believe that I have the full support of the team. If you look at my results, I've been consistent. Obviously there is something missing because I'm not winning consistently but I think it's just a matter of the team pulling together. It's been said that Rabobank was a team without a lead out and they were lucky to have Oscar Freire who could go it alone. The current squad has had to learn a lot and it's been difficult but everyone's starting to adapt to it now.

Graeme Brown has really stepped up this season – mentally and physically – as he moves towards being a true lead out rider and I'm trying to teach him everything that I can. He's taken it really well and he's improved each race. He's definitely got the power, but I'm seeing improvement in the way he positions himself and how he uses his power. Brownie has come into the Giro at the last minute and he's got good form so I think he's going to be essential to our efforts.

No one sprinter has been able to dominate across the months of the season so far, it's been about riders targeting specific races. I'm hoping that with my win in Turkey and coming into the Giro, my time is now.

In the first two weeks we'll have a lot of opportunities and that's where my priorities will lie. There is another good stage for me in the third week, and I am going to try and go there but there are still bigger objectives ahead in July, and I don't want to compromise my form. You never know how the Giro will pan out.

Of course, there is a showdown with another of my old teammates, Mark Cavendish on the cards and it's always great to race against him. I'm curious to see how he will be going. He's just had a little daughter and there's a lot going on at home, but I know him and I know that he'll turn up with the ambition to win five stages because that's how Cav works. As I've said all along, he's beatable. It wouldn't surprise me if he is beaten in the Giro. It's not the most important race for him but I think he'll still get a few wins under his belt.

 

Tags:

Giro d'Italia

Positioning is everything

Published:

February 23, 00:27,

Updated:

February 23, 00:28

By:

Mark Renshaw

Warming up for Paris-Nice and Milan-San Remo

I now have two stage races under my belt now so it's time for another blog – I'm also back in Europe. It's still a bit fresh over here but it's about 10 degrees warmer than when they had the cold snap which is lucky for me.

With the Tour Down Under and Qatar out of the way, I'm personally disappointed not to have walked away with a victory. I was happy with the Tour Down Under but when it comes to Qatar, I think I had better legs than what I showed but for one or two reasons I didn't manage to put anything on the board there – the closest I got was a third on the last stage.

Positioning is the most important factor in a sprint and I just wasn't in the right spot on the days when it counted. I didn't put myself in the best position and with the new team, we're still trying to learn. We all tried 100 per cent but up against Boonen, Cavendish and Farrar it's hard to win when you're not in the best position.

He may have missed Qatar but I think Andre Greipel's still going very well. The way I heard he was riding in Oman (I haven't seen any coverage of it) it sounded like he is still in top form. Marcel Kittel smoked all of them twice proving he will be hard to beat this year. When it comes to Mark Cavendish he may be finding the sprints a little bit chaotic and it might take him a little while before he adapts to that. He has bigger objectives where he will be looking to stamp his authority.

When it comes to myself, I'm definitely on the right track but I haven't managed to get that result. If you look at the sprinters who were in Down Under and Qatar, if I had of got one up against them then it would have been a nice win.

Generally, the whole level of the peloton is much higher because they had such good weather throughout November and December in Europe and I think that's really showed – those guys usually come to Qatar and Oman to train but this time they all turned up for the win. Normally it's the Aussies and the guys who have been in good weather dominating until mid-February.

There was a bit of talk that anyone who was racing Qatar and Oman had a two-week advantage on the guys that were racing the Tour Méditerranéen in France. While the Middle East climate definitely helped, you need to remember that all the team camps in December had good weather.

In regards to the Tour of Hangzhou that will take place after the Tour of Beijing as an additional race on the UCI WorldTour, the peloton starts racing in January, 100 per cent for points and they add this race at the back end of the season, the season now becomes too long. I don't know what happens to those riders who target the start of the year and Tour de France. They'll need to have a month off but as long as the teams understand it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm keen to get up to Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne this weekend. It's been a long time since I've ridden in the cold and in the classics. However, I'm not going to be too ambitious if the weather doesn't suit me! Then it's on to Paris-Nice which I haven't ridden for a few years. It will be a good chance to pick up a stage win there. After Paris-Nice I will have some recovery time and then I will line up in Milan-San Remo. I'm hoping to do well in Milan-Sam Remo, last year we saw Matt Goss use Paris-Nice in the lead-up to San Remo – that obviously worked.

I'm curious to see if I've progressed a little bit in the one-day classics. My role up until this year hasn't allowed me to ride these kinds of races. I'm hoping to perform well and to help the strong classics riders in the team.

It's a pretty important time of year for Rabobank, we would have liked to have picked up a win by now but we've missed out whilst still getting a lot of places. It will be great to get that first win on the board and get the monkey off the back.

Faster and stronger for 2012

Published:

January 16, 03:06,

Updated:

January 16, 03:06

By:

Mark Renshaw

Renshaw's Tour Down Under goals

Here we are at the Tour Down Under and everything is shaping up really well - and I'm back writing for Cyclingnews!

I think I’m about 95 per cent. What’s left is the racing that will bring you up. With my trainer, we came up with a program that would give me the best shot at getting good results in the Tour Down Under. I’ve done a really good strength block, and a good speed block with the scooter and when it comes to the sprints, I definitely have the form to be there for the win.

The Tour Down Under is getting huge. This year we see there’re probably five or six teams that have brought big sprinters. We’re missing Cavendish, Hushovd and Farrar – they’re the three big names that are missing. It’s going to be quite hard to win.

I think there’s still good opportunities for sprinters although the General Classification will go to a more punchy rider like Gerrans or Valverde - apparently has come back with a vengeance. I can see him being in the mix. Not doing the Bay Crits I think it’s just moved my season one or two weeks back. I’m in as much form as what I was last year riding the Bay Crits. I’ve done enough intensity at home to emulate the Bay Crits. It is great to ride them but on the days that the guys were doing an hour of racing and maybe one or two hours in the morning I was doing five hours with the scooter and six hour rides at home so while they’ve prepared well with some racing I’ve also prepared well with the scooter. I’ve preferred this year’s build up.

The first stage into Clare will be my main objective following the Down Under Classic. I get the faith from the team and I’d love to come out and win a stage straight up. But I know it’s going to be hard with Andre, with Petacchi there’s so many good riders here. You just hear the rumours about form. Andre’s obviously going pretty well. There’re also the other Aussie guys. I think Andre’s going to be the hardest competition for the sprints but you also have Boasson Hagen and Gerro for the overall.

A lot of questions are being asked what form the Rabobank leadout train will take. We’ve done some training as a team. The train itself is hard to emulate in training but with Graeme [Brown] and Michael Matthews we’ve got more than enough power. Tom Leezer is really good. He was the last lead out man for Brown the last few years and now he moves into fourth so if he can put us into position I think we have enough power. Jos Van Emden and Tom have been out in Australia since mid-December so they’ve prepared really well.

Onto that other talking point over summer – the Australian road nationals. I was quite surprised with my performance in the road race. I’m a little bit heavier than what I was the last few years but I think I’m also pushing 150 watts more – big power so it’s a bit of a compromise. All the training I’ve done has allowed me to put on more muscle. The form on the climbs has surprised me a little bit, but in a good way. But I was a little bit disappointed that my timing was out in the criterium and I missed the win there.

When it comes to my views on the Buninyong course and the fact that we need variety, I find it funny that there’s not many people backing me up – not many riders anyway. There’re a lot of journalists and fans that feel the same. My point is that I don’t want an easy circuit. All I want is some variation. It’s hard to get motivated for a course like that when I know that both Simon [Gerrans] and myself use the same trainer. All I have to do is ask my trainer can I beat Simon Gerrans on this course and he’ll laugh and say it’s not possible. It’s physically impossible that I can beat Simon. I can do it on the circuit but I need 17 teammates, I need a headwind up the climb, I need everything to go right.

On the eve of the Tour Down Under I can say there’s no pressure from the team yet but if there is pressure it’s what I’m putting on myself. I didn’t get criticised for leaving Cav but I think a lot of people were happy to see me take a chance myself. It is risky. It was a big decision and I think it was the right decision. I had to do it now, I couldn’t wait any longer I’m 29, I’m not getting younger. It would have been crazy to finish my career and say I wish I had of had a go and not took the opportunity to do it.

This year if I could a win a stage in Down Under, Tour of Qatar, have a good spring classics, Paris-Nice, perform well in San Remo, and a stage win at the Tour – that would be above expectations and I’ll be happy with that. It will be a good year, everything’s going to plan, it’s about settling into the team as well.

Skirting the barricades

Published:

January 21, 2007, 00:00,

Updated:

April 22, 2009, 19:31

By:

Cycling News

Today our diarist was a close second to fellow Aussie sprinter, Robbie McEwen, in a fast and furious...

• Index to all entries

January 21 - Stage 5: Adelaide City circuit, 81km

Today our diarist was a close second to fellow Aussie sprinter, Robbie McEwen, in a fast and furious final stage of the Tour Down Under. As he approached the line, Renshaw was faced with one of those decisions that sprinters encounter quite often - go for it, or get to know the barricades.

As expected, today was going to arrive as a sprint and I suppose it was danger-time there for a while. With six or seven laps to go, there was a break that got away with about nine or ten guys in it, and I was getting a bit stressed that it wasn't going to come to a sprint. (Martin) Elmiger had got the seconds that he wanted and basically he couldn't be beaten, and AG2R was happy for a break to go and take the pressure off them.

Leading into the final sprint, if I could go back in time I'd probably go a little bit earlier and it's always disappointing to run second, especially when I think I'd had just as good legs as Robbie (McEwen - stage winner), if not just as fast. I have just watched the final sprint on TV and I came within millimetres of the barricade, but at that point I'd committed and it was either go for the win or hit the deck. I was prepared to take both but as it was, I eventually had to stop pedalling about 10 or 20 metres out, otherwise I was going to hit the barricades.

It's better to stay upright at this time of year, but still I think it's a little bit disappointing that he (McEwen) didn't do a straight sprint. He's come to the left and with the barricades running from the left-to-right as well, it makes it look twice as bad, but he's definitely drifted over and it's only natural with the wind coming from the right that he's going to close the door on the left. I knew it was going to come and I had to fight it but as it was it didn't pay off - maybe next time.

Up to the first intermediate sprint the pace was on and the UniSA team were riding really fast and once that first sprint was settled, I think they kind of admitted defeat and then it was either going to come down to a sprint or a break-away.

Rest and then Europe

So now I can go back to Bathurst for a week or two and then head over to Europe for my first race, which is the Tour of the Mediterranean, and then the Belgian races like Het Volk, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne start the Belgian campaign. After that I'm doing the Belgian Classics and hopefully after that, as far as major races go, the Tour de France.

I'm looking forward to the European spring as I've got Paris-Nice, then Milan-San Remo, then I'll go to the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix and then the team has got me down for the French Cup races and the French tours, like the Four Days of Dunkirk. It's a pretty full-on schedule and you've got to try and hold it upright, which is the biggest problem in the peloton these days.

Last year in the Tour of Flanders I think I was a bit young and a bit underdone, but when it split on the Kwaremont I was in the front group with Thor Hushovd, so I'd done my bit in the lead-up to get him into the top 10, and as it was he rode over in the top 10, but I popped along with Ekimov, so I know I've got it in me to do better and now that I know the roads, it's getting easier.

The next big race in April and it's Paris-Roubaix. It's a love-hate relationship with Paris-Roubaix and it's probably the best-known classic there is, but I don't really like it too much. It's just a hard race if you're going to win it, I think you've got to be in your late 20s or early 30s just to have that kind of experience, but I'll go there to help Thor (Hushovd). He's the leader and at the end of the day he's good enough to win it. As a track rider, if I could get to the velodrome, I'd win the sprint easy! But then I have to get to the velodrome and be in a position to win it, and that is not something that is easy at all.

Well, we've seen this week that I can mix it with the big boys and I've got just as much power and if I ride the Tour de France this year, it's only going to get better. Thanks for reading and I'll catch you in Europe.

Mark

Not too disappointed

Published:

January 17, 2007, 00:00,

Updated:

April 21, 2009, 10:55

By:

Cycling News

I think this morning I would've said I was disappointed I didn't make the break, but once we'd done...

• Index to all entries

January 17, 2007 - Stage 1: Mawson Lakes - Tanunda , 152km

I think this morning I would've said I was disappointed I didn't make the break, but once we'd done about 15 or 20 kilometres of racing, I soon realised my efforts yesterday took a little bit out of the legs.

We were going up some of those short climbs before One Tree Hill pretty hard. I went with a few moves probably about five kilometres before the break got away; I had not bad legs, but I was under pressure there: I thought, "I could get in the break, but at the end of the day, I probably won't be worth a cracker at the finish." Now that I've got some speed, I decided to hold off and try and wait for another sprint finish.

When the big boys went crunch, there wasn't many guys that could go with them. Luckily, as it fell, we had one guy in there; if we didn't have [Yannick] Talabardon in there... pffft, I probably would've had to hurt myself a lot to get across to it! Now, looking back, I did predict right, but I'm glad I wasn't in there.

Originally, I think the break started as five or six, and there was couples going across on the climbs. There was one rider on each team and a couple had two riders from each team - everyone just sat up then. Once there was one rider from each team, that was it, the bunch was happy just to take it easy.

Yannick [Talabardon] was the last rider to get across, so we were lucky. If he didn't get across, we were going to have to ride, which our directeur would have made us do, to get someone in there. As it turns out, he's going the best out of our guys, so we were lucky to get him across [to the break].

The first stage is often the race decider; there's guys only just coming into the start of the season and they can't race day-in, day-out, full gas. There's probably more than 60, 70 percent of the peloton who want to take it easy, and just let the guys going well go up the road, and win amongst themselves. I think for sure, those top five guys are going to fight it out amongst themselves. Apparently Lars Bak was going pretty good. [Karl] Menzies is going to be hard to beat: this is prime time for him and he got third at the nationals. But in saying that, there's a couple of guys at 45 seconds and two minutes that aren't going to give up. But if I had money on it, I'd put it on one of those first five guys.

I know a little about "Killer Karl" Menzies. He's a mean-looking bloke, so I know why he's got the nickname, but he's probably a gentle giant... I've spoken with him a bit. He's a bloody good rider, actually - I've seen a lot of results over the Net in America, he cleans up a bit. Asking a few guys, he's kind of smartened up his tactics a little bit; he used to just try and ride away from us, but now he's willing to use tactics [to win] and that's why I think he's going to be hard to beat.

I think I'm a pretty good, big, solid road rider, but when I see guys like him and [Robert] Maclachlan, I just shake my head. Those guys ran second and third at the nationals and they've probably got 20 kilos on me, so I can't really use the excuse I'm too heavy and too big, because those guys are much bigger. I s'pose those guys are putting out a lot more power and burning a lot more energy, but at the end of the day, they've probably got more power and strength than me.

The next couple of days, there's probably going to be a couple of guys looking after Yannick in the team, a couple of the French guys. But it's going to be hard for him to move up; he's going to have to go for a few time bonuses or get in a break to move up. Otherwise, it's going to be down to Willunga, whether he can jump away there on the climb. It's only the early season, though - I think the best he can look at is to jump up into the top five, but it's definitely going to be a hard job for him.

Today was a long day and just the pressure that it's going to on every day for those guys... I'm actually happy that I might get another to have another sprint.

The other teams are going to make the call, though - I'm not going to put my guys on the front all day to make the sprint. If it's within reach, then definitely I'll throw my guys on the front 40, 50k out if it's at three or four minutes. But I think it's definitely my best bet: to try and get another bunch sprint finish.

That's the best thing about this team: if you think you've got good legs, then the team will ride for you no worries. With that in the back of your head, it adds a little bit of extra confidence, and now with the respect and self-belief that I know I can come over the top of Robbie McEwen, it plays a big part.

Robbie congratulated me last night after dinner and so did all the other boys. We all had a bit of a joke about it in the bunch today... "Shouldda put you over the fence!", "Why didn't you turn right?" It's good like that.

It's a pretty good bunch of Aussie sprinters now. I don't think there's too many hard feelings amongst any of them, but at the same time, it's hard in this kind of race not to make enemies. At the end of the day, if you have to put one of your mates on your hip and take him over, then you have to do it for the win.

Tomorrow, I think the Australian team will try and control it - but the problem is those three or four guys are in a couple of seconds of each other, so I think it's going to pan out that they'll probably be another break, maybe a group of three or four guys. Towards the end, I can see it coming back together again for a bunch sprint... I hope! That's what I'm hoping for.

cheers,
Mark