Mark Renshaw: ‘We brought back four world champions, but Van der Poel... he's exceptional’
CyclingSunday, 26 July 2026 at 22:48
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Follow us on GoogleAlpecin-Premier took home the victory flowers on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, but behind them, Decathlon CMA CGM may have made just as big an impression. Australian team leader Mark Renshaw watched with pride and, after the race, shared his story with IDL Pro Cycling at the team bus.
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Would Renshaw be willing to speak with the media for a moment?“For sure. But that’s going to be a busy night,” he laughs, obviously referring to Mathieu van der Poel’s sensational victory in Paris. “Mathieu was exceptional,” Renshaw nodded.
Well, of course, he mainly talked about the work of his own team.“Listen… amazing . Really. What more could I ask of these guys? Every day we’ve pushed them to their absolute limits: every day for the general classification, and every day for the sprint as well. And I think we proved it again today.”
"We were the strongest. We brought the four-man breakaway back—which included four world champions. Then we brought the pack back together again in hopes of setting up a sprint, but once again: Mathieu was exceptional."
Read more below the video!
Renshaw: ‘Kooij has every reason to be incredibly proud’
Olav Kooij still had a chance to go for the win, but ultimately finished in fifth place.
The Dutchman, who was already standing by the bus with a beer and his friends after the race, was okay with it. “After a few hours or days, pride will take over. He should be incredibly proud of what he’s accomplished,” said Renshaw.
"When you consider where he had to come from three months ago and where he is now... that's truly exceptional. And that goes not only for Olav, but for the entire team. To see them ride like that, truly as one team... As a team director, that's a dream come true."
Renshaw himself once guided Mark Cavendish to victory in historic fashion on the Champs-Élysées. How does he compare that day to Paris 2026, when his own riders made a strong impression?
"Well, my heart is racing just as much! We share the same feelings. You put so much into it, you're away from your family for so long... This team now feels like a second family that you work with. I'm simply incredibly proud of how they raced."
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Wow, second place already? How big was the time gap to first in the end, and does that come mostly from the mountain stages or time trial? Gracias por la info, très curieux!sprocketspiny26-07-2026
- - Great piece overall, but quoting Vanthourenhout while noting he’s not on Tour duty with Remco feels odd. Would love more insight from BORA’s actual in-race DS.gearguru3326-07-2026
- - The idea that next year’s route with a 50 km TT flips the script is interesting. If ASO gives us that, Remco starts as 1A contender. But he still needs a mountain train that can blunt UAE’s tempo.michael5426-07-2026
- - “He should have gone sooner” is always easy to say. Carapaz was flying. Remco emptied the tank late and nearly bridged — fine margins at the end of a brutal Tour.andrewf26-07-2026
- - From third last year to second now, plus a stage tally that could’ve been three — that’s progression. BORA’s support looked miles better too, even after the Alpe d’Huez spat. Winning the Tour one day doesn’t look crazy.julien26-07-2026
- - Can someone explain why a longer time trial would help him that much? Is he that much better than Pogacar in TT over 50 km?jeremya26-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy Herygers’ “loyal to Pogačar” angle. Remco races to win. If he had the legs 5 km earlier, he goes. Feels like Monday-morning quarterbacking.pedalpowe2926-07-2026
- - Massive ride from Remco. Second overall and second on the queen stage isn’t “almost” — it’s elite. The way he paced that final 3 km was smart given the UAE/Decathlon tug-of-war behind.patriciaw26-07-2026
- - Pog is on another planet. Even rivals would doubt him? That quote from Gianetti is blunt but honest.julien26-07-2026
- - So if Cobo’s Vuelta got stripped for blood passport issues, why did it take so long? Feels like the system punishes fans retroactively. Confusing tbh.patriciaw26-07-2026
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