Sunday 15 February 2015 - 16:53

Clasica de Almeria: Cavendish & Renshaw 1st & 3rd After Team Domination!

Clasica de Almeria: Cavendish & Renshaw 1st & 3rd After Team Domination!

Etixx - Quick-Step rider Mark Cavendish added a fourth race to his victory total, 5th including a Dubai Tour Overall win, after finishing off a great team race at 183.3km Clasica de Almeria on Sunday. Mark Renshaw, his final leadout man, was 3rd in a demonstration of how well the team leadout train executed the final kilometers.

Etixx - Quick-Step drove the pace on the front of the peloton when chasing down the original breakaway, led by David De La Cruz and Gianluca Brambilla. The team continued to push the pace on the front when the peloton split in two. The front group contained about 58 riders, and inside the final 10km the front group had a two minute advantage on the second group.

Etixx - Quick-Step has now won 10 races (9 road), with Mark Cavendish earning half of the total victories.

"Yesterday I didn't really feel good during the race at Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia, but today the team was really motivated," Cavendish said. "We started riding from kilometer zero. We were always in front, in the first 10 positions of the group the entire race. We also rode strong in the wind, and made the decision to break up the bunch in the crosswind after the last climb. With 30 kilometers to go Katusha and Movistar moved up to help us out, so the front group went full gas until the finish line. In the sprint Zdenek Stybar began the leadout into the final 450 meters. Then Mark Renshaw led me out, and I was in his slipstream until 150 meters to go. By the time I went it was just a matter of finishing off the race for the win. It was perfect. I am super happy and proud about the way the team controlled the race the entire day. We are riding so united. You can see it not just here, but at Tour of Qatar where Niki Terpstra won the overall and they also won the team classification. Now we just need to keep up this team atmosphere and keep trying to win races."



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