Cavendish to the Tour of Algarve with Renshaw and Petacchi
Cavendish to once again line up with Mark Renshaw and Alessandro Petacchi - Omega Pharma lead out train to continue at the Tour of Algarve - Five stage race in Portugal has possibly two sprint stages
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Mark Cavendish's Omega Pharma sprint train will aim to get back on track at the five stage Tour of Algarve that starts tomorrow in Portugal. After an initial, unsuccessful outing in Dubai, the Manxman will again ride with his new lead-out men Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Renshaw.
"Mark and Alessandro are the two smartest guys in that position in the world," Cavendish said last month in Argentina. "I have no problem in following those two guys. I don't have to think for myself, I just have to follow. I'm in the luckiest position to have those two."
Despite success for the team elsewhere, the Omega Pharma sprint machine is yet to reach top speed. Cavendish began in Argentina at the Tour de San Luis but worked for Tom Boonen, while at the Dubai Tour Renshaw and Petacchi couldn't deliver a win for Cavendish as Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) won all three sprint stages.
Arnaud Démare (FDJ.fr), and José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) will be the other sprinters to watch at Algarve.
"We are lucky that we can swap between everyone, not just those guys [Petacchi and Renshaw] and me, but we have a lot of strong guys on the team: Tom Boonen, Stijn Vandenbergh, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Nikolas Maes..." Cavendish explained. In Portugal, he is also joined by last year's overall winner Tony Martin, Michal Kwiatkowski, Michal Golas, Thomas De Gendt and Julien Vermote.
Renshaw teamed up with Cavendish again after two years trying to make it as a sprinter with Rabobank then Belkin. How long it will take them to reach a level of understanding they had in their pomp at HTC remains to be seen. Success in the 2013 Tour of Britain aside, Petacchi still has to find his position in a lead out train, although his experience alone is priceless. "We'd been speaking about riding for the same team for a few years," Cavendish said. "He signed for Lampre and it wasn't possible. When he announced his retirement; I had a phone call from Patrick and he asked what I think of Alessandro. I said, 'F**k yeah.' We tried to make it happen as quickly possible, convince him to come out of retirement. It didn't take much."
Cavendish said Petacchi slotted in immediately. They tried three times and won three times in the Tour of Britain last year. "His rhythm was perfect, his vision of the peloton in the bunch is remarkable, he's so clever," Cavendish said. "I think he's the only guy in cycling who tactically worked out how to beat me. He's beat me on a number of occasions, he's the only guy who sat and watched how I sprinted and worked out the tactics to beat me rather than just being better on the day."
Cavendish, Petacchi and Renshaw must now perfect the lead-out before the Grand Tours start. Algarve gives them another chance before the cycling peloton switches it's focus to the one day classics in northern Europe.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Watch: Canyon unveils a very Miami Canyon Aeroad CFR, custom-made for the Blazers
Bicycle manufacturer, Canyon Bicycles, today unveiled a Miami Blazers’ custom Canyon Aeroad CFR, meant to serve as a visual representation of Miami’s vibrant culture
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
'The darkest day in British cycling' - British riders mourn loss of AT85 Pro Cycling
Matt Bostock says Tim Elverson run squad ‘gave him confidence’ to take next step in his career, Alex Richardson says British Scene has lost ‘a platform’ for young riders to develop
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Mark Cavendish buys second guard dog for £20,000 after knife point raid
Peta Cavendish said family home had become a reminder of "threat and fear" after home invasion robbery in 2021
By Adam Becket • Published
-
In photos: Mark Cavendish through the years, all his teams and kits
18 years, six teams, 161 wins. Will 2023 be a last hurrah for the British champion?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
CW Live: Mark Cavendish to start season at Oman; Giro wildcards unveiled; UCI updates Covid rules; Amsterdam builds underwater garage for 7,000 bikes; Cavendish family 'terrorised' by robbery; and LTNs do not push traffic onto boundary roads
All the news you need in the world of cycling this Thursday. It's cold!
By Adam Becket • Last updated
-
Last chance saloon: Why has Mark Cavendish ended up at Astana? And will it work?
The British champion has joined the sixth different team of his professional career in the hunt for one more Tour de France stage win
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish signs for Astana-Qazaqstan and will remain on the WorldTour for 2023
The transfer saga is over, Mark Cavendish has officially found a team, and will chase the Tour de France stage win record
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
CW LIVE: Mark Cavendish threatened with knife in home robbery; Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X receive wildcard invites to the Tour de France; Sonny Colbrelli looking to enter politics and concerns raised over Van Aert and Van der Poel appearance fees
All the latest news from the world of cycling
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
CW Live: Van der Poel and Pieterse win Herentals CX; Mark Cavendish still not at Astana; Lizzie Deignan awarded MBE; 1.7% of bike theft cases result in a charge; Egan Bernal targets Tour de France return?
Happy new year from Cycling Weekly, here's everything you need to know this Tuesday
By Adam Becket • Last updated
-
CW Live: Mark Cavendish reportedly set to sign for Astana; Tom Pidcock smashes Sa Calobra KOM; London cycle lane gritting row; Ineos Grenadiers release new kit; Mathieu van der Poel 'scared' on Val di Sole snow; Lotto-Dstny skipping Giro d'Italia
All the news in the world of cycling you need to read
By Adam Becket • Last updated