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Mark Renshaw wants to channel his fury over last year’s Australian cycling team selection controversy into a massive year at new team Rabobank.
The 29-year-old from Bathurst features in the usual strong lineup of world-class sprinters this week at Adelaide’s Tour Down Under.
Better known as a top lead-out men, Renshaw is now reinventing himself as a pure sprinter and will be a key rider at the Dutch team.
Renshaw will be an intriguing story this year because, along with his new role, there is the aftermath from his omission from the Australian team for last September’s world championships.
Matt Goss won the silver medal in the men’s elite road race behind British sprint ace Mark Cavendish.
It was a big call by the Australian selectors to leave out Renshaw and the decision polarised opinion.
Goss’s silver puts him in the box seat for an automatic nomination to the London Olympics as a member of the five-man road team.
He is also a sprinter, making Renshaw pessimistic that he can make the Games, but he’s determined to try.
“I don’t see a place in there, but it doesn’t mean I won’t be working hard for it,” Renshaw said.
“Over the past 12 months, I’ve ridden 100 per cent for (other) riders and given the best I can for them.”
Renshaw was asked on Sunday if he wants to send a message to the Olympic selectors by winning a stage or two at the Tour.
He spoke instead about a determination to make a strong team start: “I believe I’d rather start well with Rabobank, it’s more important that I give them good results.”
At previous team HTC-Highroad Renshaw was Cavendish’s main leadout rider and saw first-hand what he will encounter now he is the main sprint option.
“I know how he (Cavendish) handles the pressure and I’ve seen the pressure he’s been put under,” Renshaw said.
“All in all it hasn’t been too difficult, I think I’ve handled it quite well and I believe with the team we have here and the form I have, I will be competitive.”
His team includes fellow Australian fast men Graeme Brown and Michael Matthews plus Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez, the 2005 race winner.
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