"I'm not going to say there's going to be a big crash, but it's the Tour de France, and it won't change."
Decathlon CMA CGM sport director Mark Renshaw was cautiously optimistic when he spoke to Rouleur about the relative lack of major crashes so far at this year's Grande Boucle. Renshaw spoke to us on stage eight. Yes, eight. We are a day out from the first rest day and are yet to witness a mass pile-up of screaming riders and brakes, of crunching carbon and bones – the sadistic ritual that viewers have become accustomed to during the first week of the Tour.
"Touch wood. We've seen crashes – the Cofidis rider that did a somersault. But we haven't seen the big mass pile-ups that we've seen for some years. Maybe everyone has accepted that maybe they have to brake at some point."
He continues: "It's all about tossing up the level of danger. Of course, a sprinter will go through a gap if he sees the victory. On stage seven, Olav sat up. The victory was out of sight. He could have finished top 10. Once he hit the brakes, he got caught on the barriers, and he pulled out. It's still the same as it was 10-15 years ago. Racing has evolved, but the risk is still the same."
As Mark Cavendish's key lead-out man for 20 out of his 35 stage wins, the Australian is familiar with the perils of a drag race to the line – breaking bones and even losing teeth during his career.
This Tour, he's been imparting that experience to Decathlon's star fast man, Olav Kooij. The Dutchman dominated stage five, but on Friday in Bordeaux he ducked out of the running when it was too risky to go for a gap between riders. Tim Merlier won in Bordeaux and doubled up on stage eight to Bergerac, with Kooij coming third in a much clearer run to the line than on the banks of the Garonne. On both occasions, Merlier, the best sprinter in the world at the moment, showed a sixth sense of navigating the bunch at high speed.
So what's changed? During Renshaw's riding career the sprint zones were usually set at three kilometres out from the line. For context, the sprint zone is the final stretch of a flat stage within which any rider who crashes or has a mechanical is given the same finishing time of the group they were riding in when the incident occurred. This year, they have been brought forward to 5km, something which Renshaw approves of: "I think they're trying really hard to change some of the regulations to help teams stay calm."
The new longer sprint zone has allowed general classification teams to move out the way earlier, clearing space for those gunning for the line. This year, the GC teams have decided to stay out of the fight for the front altogether.
"I must say, the five kilometre rule makes quite a big difference," said Tadej Pogačar in the yellow jersey after stage eight. "There's now a kind of agreement that the GC riders sit in the back and we keep calm. It's much less stressful. There is always going to be the possibility for crashes but I think we have managed it pretty well. So, thanks to all the GC contenders for this respect [between us].
"[With] the team time trial, and then some hard days the GC settles in a little bit. I think it's always good – it's less chaotic the first days and then today and yesterday were easier days."
It's a blessing, too, Decathlon's dual ambitions in Paul Seixas for the general classification and Kooij's bid for the sprint: "The new tactic from Visma and UAE, where they sit back and try to avoid the front, is definitely a help. It's good for Paul [Seixas]. It's good for all the GC guys."
Lead-out specialist Mark Renshaw serves as a Sports Director for the Decathlon CMA CGM Team, where he spearheads their sprint project
The Tour's top step was all but settled by stage six. But while there is some frustration at UAE's overwhelming dominance, it has if nothing else cleared things up for the fastmen of the peloton. Stage nine will see no bandages or broken teeth at the startline, but instead a chuffed Tim Merlier, and a defeated Jasper Philipsen. While the Alpecin-Premier Tech's sprint favourite is struggling to find his form so far this Tour, at least he's still around to partake.
"It is not completely missed opportunities. We had chances, and we did not win, but that's not the only thing. It's not that easy to win on this level, let's say. Sometimes it seems like that, but when it doesn't work out immediately, then you realise this is a hell of a job," said Alpecin sport director Christoph Roodhooft after Philipsen finished fourth behind Kooij in Bergerac.
In last year's edition, the 10-time Tour de France stage winner suffered a fractured collarbone and broken ribs during a contest for the intermediate sprint, forcing him to abandon the race and undergo surgery. Not an incident that occurred in the bunch finish, but nonetheless a reminder of how chaos often occurs at high speeds.
Safer sprinters are a delight, too, for fans, allowing us to witness Merlier's mastery in its unadulterated glory. Watching a complete crop of favourites go head to head feels something of a luxury, wins and losses due to form instead of luck keeping us hooked all the way to the Champs-Élysées.
