Freestyling Renshaw caught in Spidertech's web

Mark Renshaw is still hunting for his elusive first win in Rabobank colours after drawing a blank in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne on Sunday.

The Australian had been perfectly placed on Mark Cavendish's (Team Sky) wheel as the bunch sped into the final kilometre.

"Some guys from Spidertech, they just don't care and they take risks. That's the way the peloton is right now there's not much respect and everyone wants Cavendish's wheel," he told Cyclingnews.

"I had it with 1km to go and then I got knocked off the wheel and from then it was finished. Up until then all our guys were tired in the final so I just had to freestyle."

Renshaw ultimately finished in 15th place but until the final kilometre chaos had ridden a successful race by keeping out of the wind and staying near the front to avoid crashes.

"Until then I was feeling really good. That's why I'm pretty angry to miss an opportunity like that, especially because it's a race that finishes in a sprint and it's one that suits me. I'm really happy with how I felt but I just lost the wheel in the final."

Renshaw signed for Rabobank after several seasons leading out Mark Cavendish at Highroad Sports. A fine sprinter in his own right his move to the Dutch squad has given him further opportunities to stamp his own mark in field sprinting but despite seven top 10 finishes in 2012 he has yet to win a race.

As with bike racing and especially sprinting, the next opportunity is just around the corner and Renshaw will take his good form to Paris-Nice before targeting another major goal, Milan-San Remo.

"Generally I'm really happy with the form and how things felt today. I'm just not happy with the last kilometres," he told Cyclingnews.

"Paris - Nice is a big opportunity and then I'll prepare for Milan-San Remo."

 

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Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.