At least that is the opinion of Robbie McEwen and given he's a man that knows a thing or two about sprinters on the professional road cycling scene - he was a three-time Tour de France green jersey winner - it's a well informed one.

McEwen has been amongst those to pay tribute to Renshaw this week following the news the Bathurst talent would retire from professional cycling at the end of 2019.

Before McEwen retired in 2012 he had battled Renshaw in sprint finishes. Then in his role as a cycling commentator, he often dissected the lead out rides the Bathurst talent did for Cavendish.

"[We were] Never team-mates, always rivals, but I always appreciated what Mark did for the teams he was in," McEwen said.

"Incredible career, a selfless rider and great temperament, a great guy to have at your disposal. Really a yin and yang with Cavendish yelling and screaming and stressing out, Mark Renshaw, quiet, calm and controlled, just stay in the wheel, I'll get you to 200 then you know what to do.

"He'd been a lead out man for Thor Hushovd before, then he came across Mark Cavendish and they rode together with massive success, multiple stage wins in the Tour de France.

"Even as much that in 2009 Mark Renshaw finished second on the Champs Elysees to Cavendish, daylight was third.

"In fact, Cavendish could have afforded to sit up and let Mark Renshaw roll across the line in first.

"He's been the architect of so many wins for Cavendish."

READ MORE: Renshaw reveals season 2009 will be his last

READ MORE: McEwen backs Renshaw as a lead sprinter

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While McEwen was a pure sprinter - it led him to victories such as 12 Tour de France stages win and 12 in the Giro d'Italia - he has plenty of respect for the job Renshaw has filled during his career.

Aside from a period when he rode for Rabobank and Belkin and pushed for victory himself, Renshaw has worked to protect the lead sprinter in his teams and get them to the front of the peloton in the concluding metres of flat stages.

"An incredible guy with a huge amount of talent, but then [he] has focused that on others to help them," McEwen said.

"That was really his niche and he was so, so good at it and that's why he was sought after as a lead out man.

"[But] When he had to, he'd come out of the corner swinging, remember when he got excluded from the Tour de France for head-butting Julian Dean, which I thought was over blown, it never should have had him thrown off the tour.

"Mark Renshaw always did what he had to do, he did it with a minimum of fuss, maximum of efficiency."

Renshaw has more races to come this season for his Dimension Data team and no doubt many of those will see him once more working for Cavendish.

As Renshaw's road record stands at the moment, he has made 17 GrandTour starts, appeared in 18 classics and boasts 12 personal wins.