Mark Renshaw is currently riding Tirren0-Adriatico to find form ahead of next Sunday’s Milan-Sanremo, where he will be hoping to make it to the finale to support teammate and close friend Mark Cavendish.

“Personally my role stays pretty much the same, I have to try and do my best anyway to help Cav and it looks like he’s recovered pretty good after being sick,” he told SBS Cycling Central. “The goal will still be to win a stage tomorrow and then the rest of the race is preparation for San Remo.”

Renshaw himself is recovering froma  virus, which he and Cavendish both picked up will riding in Cape Town last week during a sponsor-related trip.

“Everything going straight through you, it was that kind of virus, which is not ideal prep,” Renshaw said. “I’m starting to get the strength back, still a little while away from being back to I think where we were before. It might take a couple of days but we’re fit and healthy enough to race, which is the main thing.

The way Renshaw and Cavendish seem to be working together this year is reminiscent of their days at HTC-Highroad, where Cavendish won almost every bunch sprint he contested. Renshaw says while those days may never return, 2015 will certainly be better than 2014.

“This year will be a lot better than last year,” he continued. “Last year there were still some teething problems but this year I think we will just get better.” 

Renshaw says his role can change is Sanremo but he still hopes to be there in the final, as he lives on the race’s roads and knows them really well.

“I live there so I get to train on it all the time but for the other guys it’s pretty important to familiarise the last 30-40km together,” he said. “It’s an important race so you don’t want to make any errors in the final, and after 290km it’s better to have ridden the road only a few weeks ago rather than a year ago."
 

“You never know what happens with this race,” he continued of the classic. “We will have two or three leaders in the team, with the main one being Cav, so my role can change on the day, but I’d love to get to the final and do a good ride in the final kilometres for Cav.”