Mørkøv and Renshaw on Mark Cavendish: 'It's a winning formula for us'

As the British sprinter begins his 18th European season, we talk to Michael Mørkøv and Mark Renshaw on the power trio at the heart of Astana Qazaqstan

11:30, Tuesday 5th March 2024

George Poole

Junior Writer

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As will be the case throughout 2024, Michael Mørkøv has barely left the side of Mark Cavendish

It has been a topsy-turvy two months for Astana Qazaqstan. Tour Colombia brought them two victories, but the UAE Tour delivered some disappointments and just one glance at the UCI points earned so far in 2024 will tell you that this is a team deep in a relegation battle.

Above all that, however, it is not the victories or lack of UCI points that define Astana Qazaqstan going into the coming races, including this week's Tirreno-Adriatico. Instead, the prevailing story is one of reunification and commitment around the greatest sprinter the sport has ever seen, Mark Cavendish.

Ploughing forward into his 18th professional season, the 38-year-old has a lead-out and staff almost completely built around his ambition of picking up at least one more historic victory in the Tour de France this July. Cees Bol was the first man brought in to help Cavendish ahead of the 2023 season and a year on, the Dutchman has been joined by an all-star cast.

Mark Renshaw's addition has been made permanent as a sports director after a dalliance as a sounding board during last year's Tour, Vasilis Anastopoulos is the team's new Head of Performance after an illustrious spell with Soudal Quick-Step, and to cap it off, Michael Mørkøv - the peloton's preeminent lead-out man - has rejoined Cavendish's side after a season spent apart.

Cavendish's career resurgence at the 2021 Tour de France was spearheaded by the domineering lead-outs of the Dane and for Renshaw, Mørkøv's brief spell with Astana Qazaqstan has already brought a smile to the face.

"It's been amazing because obviously he has worked with Cav for a long time, I worked with Cav for a long time, and he picked up the mantle of being one of the deluxe lead-out men in the peloton when I stopped," Renshaw told GCN at the recent UAE Tour.

"So it's been really enjoyable to work with him. I look at him and sometimes it's like looking into a mirror of my career, it's all about working for guys and delivering day in, day out. It's really enjoyable to work with him."

As enjoyable as the short experience has been for Renshaw to work above Cavendish and as he noted himself, the Australian's replacement as the best lead-out man in the business, it has been a pleasure shared by Mørkøv.

"I am really happy, we clicked really well back in the days at Quick-Step and joining this team was just like being back on Quick-Step again," Mørkøv told GCN shortly after stage 6 of the UAE Tour.

After six seasons spent with Soudal Quick-Step and with the indomitable Tim Merlier still part of the Belgian setup, there was an air of expectation that the former Vuelta a España stage winner would close out his career in the ranks of Patrick Lefevere's team, but when his old teammate came a calling last summer, Mørkøv could not help but jump at the challenge.

Of course, Cavendish was scheduled to retire at the end of 2023, but his departure from the Tour de France with a fractured collarbone was not the note he wanted to end on in the race that has defined his career. Although the announcement that he was postponing retirement would wait until October, the Manxman's mind was made up far sooner than that.

"He called me the day after he crashed and I was pretty much committed from there, so I am happy to join him," Mørkøv noted.

The pair have yet to unite in classic fashion thus far in Astana Qazaqstan colours, not for a victory at least, but Mørkøv has more than seen enough to know that Cavendish still has what it takes at the top level.

'He absolutely has another Tour de France stage in him'

Cavendish opened up his account for 2024 at the Tour Colombia

The new season got off to a fantastic start for Astana Qazaqstan and Cavendish, with a third-place finish in the opening stage of Tour Colombia swiftly followed by the 163rd victory of the Manxman's career just three days later.

It was a victory taken from the wheel of Bol, however, with Mørkøv plagued by misfortune and relegated to the penultimate helper for Cavendish on the day. The pair would race for the second time at the UAE Tour in late February, but this too saw misfortune befall the team.

Early comments from Cavendish and Renshaw fired the team into life on stage 5, in which Mørkøv produced a trademark lead-out that was only thwarted by a tricky headwind finish and early launch from the Manxman, but Cavendish was forced to abandon the race with a fever on the morning of stage 6.

Despite this, Gleb Syritsa stood up valiantly to produce the best performance of the week for the team, and Mørkøv had been given the confidence that the (admittedly ageing) double act still has what it takes to win at the highest level.

"He absolutely has another Tour stage in him," the 38-year-old said of Cavendish the day after their near-miss.

"Yesterday was a tough sprint but he was sprinting for victory and the sprints he did in Colombia, the way training is going is very good, so we can only be confident."

It is not hard to see where Mørkøv's confidence comes from. The Dane's own performances on stages 5 and 6 at the UAE Tour demonstrate that he still appears at the very top of his game, whilst Cavendish has already gotten off to winning ways in Colombia and showed no waning of his determination in the Middle East.

With Renshaw overseeing the sprint, Anastopoulos heading up the team's performance and Davide Ballerini, Bol and Mørkøv to lead him out, there could be no more well-accustomed team around Cavendish to produce one last moment of heroics at the Tour de France.

Seemingly made for each other on the bike, Mørkøv and Cavendish are an unlikely double act off the bike as well, which can only aid their connection. Mørkøv may offer more sensibility and stoicism than Cavendish's ever-youthful enthusiasm and charisma, but together, the pair make for a fearsome partnership.

"We are at the same place in life, wife and kids at home and we have a lot of the same daily stuff going on," said Mørkøv. "I am just here for him, trying to help him win races and he takes advantage of me, so I think that's a winning formula for both of us."

Watch more: Mark Cavendish: You can't imagine how much cycling has changed

As Mørkøv and Cavendish try to take the first WorldTour win of the season for Astana Qazaqstan at this week's Tirreno-Adriatico, you can find everything you need to know about the race in our dedicated race hub.