Transition To Road
2002 was a breakthrough year for Renshaw as an endurance track cyclist. Throughout the year he placed consistently in the Points Race, Madison and Teams Pursuit. And went on to be part of the Australian Team Pursuit team that broke the World Record at the Manchester Commonwealth Games (along with Graeme Brown, Peter Dawson and Luke Roberts). He was also later part of the Australian senior World Championship-winning Team Pursuit team.
In 2002 Renshaw's road career also began to take off when he was selected in the Brad McGee-organized NSWIS-FDJeux Development squad. Because of Renshaw's involvement in this squad he was soon riding in France with amateur squad SCO Dijon, which opened the door for him to join the senior FDJeux.com squad in 2004.
Renshaw returned to the track in 2004, and in the World Championships competed in the Madison, Points Race and Teams Pursuit. Renshaw crashed out in the Points race, and finished 4th in the Madison. The Australian Team Pursuit team went on to win Gold but Mark missed his second senior World Title, because he only competed in one round (the Qualifying Round) after his fall in the Points Race. After having raced all of the World Cup rounds in the Madison event, and in the process qualifying Australia for the Olympic spot, Renshaw was selected to ride the Points Race and the Madison at the Games. However, there was controversy when in the lead up to the event, Australian selectors chose experienced road rider, Stuart O'Grady to partner Graeme Brown over Renshaw in the madison event. Renshaw still competed in the Points Race, where he placed 6th.
Renshaw stayed with FDJeux.com for two seasons, before he moved to Credit Agricole, with the main aim of using his track bike handling experience to ride as lead-out for Thor Hushovd. Renshaw showed strong early season form, taking out the Geelong Bay Series Criterium for the second consecutive year. This led to him racing as Credit Agricole's main sprinter in the early events (with Hushovd's season yet to commence), where he picked up his first Pro-Tour victory in the first stage of his 'local' Pro-Tour event, the Tour Down Under. Renshaw went on to lead the General Classification of the Tour Down Under, until the penultimate Willunga Hill stage, where his lack of climbing ability meant he lost considerable time and the race lead to future team mate Andre Greipel.
It was during his time with Credit Agricole that Renshaw made his Tour de France debut in 2008, after missing the 2007 race through illness. In the 2008 race, Renshaw received great praise for his role in Thor Hushovd's win on Stage 2 of the race.
After the Credit Agricole team folded at the end of 2008, Renshaw was hired for team Columbia-High Road. His primary responsibility in major races was as lead-out rider for sprinter Mark Cavendish. After his first season with Columbia in 2009, Renshaw received praise from commentators and fellow riders alike for his part in Cavendish's hugely successful Tour and season in general, and was now commonly referred to as "the World's best lead-out man". Renshaw's individual highlight of the 2009 season was possibly his second placed finish on the final stage of the Tour de France, after a lead-out that also gave Cavendish the victory.
Read more about this topic: Mark Renshaw
Famous quotes containing the words transition and/or road:
“The god or hero of the sculptor is always represented in a transition from that which is representable to the senses, to that which is not.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Such were the first rude beginnings of a town. They spoke of the practicability of a winter road to the Moosehead Carry, which would not cost much, and would connect them with steam and staging and all the busy world. I almost doubted if the lake would be there,—the self-same lake,—preserve its form and identity, when the shores should be cleared and settled; as if these lakes and streams which explorers report never awaited the advent of the citizen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)