Australian still angry about not being selected for the World Championships
Mark Renshaw (HTC Highroad) in the press conference) (Image credit: Rob Lampard)
Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad) was happy to get a chance to win a stage at the Tour of Britain on Thursday, but no amount of success and a goodbye win set up by teammate and close friend Mark Cavendish will cancel his anger and disappointment about not being selected for the Australian team for next week’s World Championships in Copenhagen.
Cavendish let Renshaw get a gap coming out of the final corner on the Exmouth seafront and then finished second behind him, re-enacting their frequent double act of the last three seasons, when Renshaw was Cavendish’s leadout man.
“In the last three years I’ve given him a lot of victories and so it’s great to see him help me win a stage,” Renshaw said during the stage winner’s press conference.
“That's the best part of HTC and Highroad, We’ve always shared the victories around, and that’s why we won so much. He’s been a good friend over the years and understands the decision I’ve taken to leave next year. It’s good to end the last three years with a win.”
Renshaw admitted however that no amount of success will help him get a place in the Australian team for Copenhagen.
“Unless one of the riders crashes or has a major problem, I can’t see me getting a call up,” he explained in this video interview.
“I’m extremely disappointed not to get a start in the nine riders. In the last three years I’ve been one of the most devoted riders out there. As I said after they released the team, I can’t explain why they didn’t take me. They’ve decide to go for a different approach with Simon Gerrans. But I don’t think there’s a better rider than me to chauffer him around the bunch for 200km, leading into the finale. They could have looked at me for that role. Not many riders have a better understanding for a job like that."
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Renshaw revealed that he has Dutch and Irish roots but said he had no plans to change nationality to secure a ride at the Worlds or Olympics.
“I’m more Dutch,” he said when asked if he had any British ancestors. “I think my father’s side is more Irish. But I love Australia and I’ll give 100 percent till I put on the green and gold.”
