BATHURST professional cyclist Mark Renshaw has made a superb start to the Tour de France by leading out Dimension Data team mate Mark Cavendish to a stage one win and a career-first yellow jersey.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After a strong lead out from Renshaw, Cavendish held off challenges from Marcel Kittel (Etixx Quick-Step) and Peter Sagan (Tinkoff Team) to take the win in Sunday morning's 188-kilometre stage from Mont Saint-Michel to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.
Dimension Data riders Bernhard Eisel, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg and Edvald Boasson Hagen drove the team towards the front of the peloton late in the race.
Renshaw was the last men left to lead out Cavendish as the peloton made its way underway the ‘flamme rouge’, signally one kilometre to go.
Cavendish latched onto the wheel of world champion Sagan before swinging out to the right to begin his final sprint.
Kittel loomed up to his left of Cavendish but there was no stopping the ‘Manx Missile’ from securing his 27th career stage win at the tour.
“Wow Wow Wow! So happy for @MarkCavendish & @TeamDiData team. We have been chasing that yellow jersey a long time together, 27 stages!,” Renshaw wrote on Twitter post-race.
“My ears are still ringing! Not sure if it's from in the race, the crowds or from after the finish line with our man hugs.”
