His job as the 103rd edition of the cycling classic gets underway will be to set up a stage win for his Dimension Data team-mate Mark Cavendish given day one is expected to come down to a bunch sprint.

If Renshaw can do so it will not only be the remarkable 27th Tour de France stage win of Cavendish’s career, but it will give him the yellow jersey as the leader of the general classification.

It is an honour not only for the individual who wears the jersey, but his team as well. Renshaw knows plenty hinges on him getting Cavendish in a good position to unleash his final sprint.

“There’s more pressure leading out than sprinting for the win,” Renshaw has often said.

The Isle of Man native, known as the ‘Manx Missile’ for his explosive speed, has previously held the green jersey, but never the yellow.

“It was never a career target,” Cavendish said of wearing yellow.

“It’s just something that I’ve never done. You’ll make out it was a career target, but it’s just something that I’ve never done. The target is to win the stage.

“I’ve had a track build up and used racing to build my endurance. I really don’t know how it’s going to be. It could be the best thing I’ve ever done, it could be the worst.

“I’ve definitely made every second of every day count. I’m not coming to the tour to just dick about. I’m here to represent team Dimension Data.”

Renshaw himself came close to the yellow jersey 2010 when he placed second Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi on stage one of the Tour de France.

This year’s opening stage is a 188 kilometre haul from Mont-Saint-Michel to Utah Beach in Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont – the site of the D-Day Normandy landings in June 1944.

“This first stage is for the sprinters - the parcours is flat, nearly all the way, with some small climbs, but not enough to make a difference,” renowned Tour de France commentator Daniel Mangeas said.

On Thursday Renshaw joined the other riders who will take part in this year’s tour for the the team presentation in Sainte-Mere-Eglise in Normandy.

Vintage military transport vehicles delivered the 22 participating teams to the ceremony, before the riders jumped on their bikes and rode up onto the stage.

As the tour unfolds Renshaw will have more chances to not only help Cavendish, but his fellow Dimension Data riders.

The event, which concludes on July 24, consists of 21 stages and includes two rest days on route to Paris – in Andorra and Berne. 

“Looking forward to my eighth Tour de France with these boys and the Team Dimension Data crew,” Renshaw tweeted.

“Team presentation done. Time to race.”