Mark Renshaw to miss start of season after fracturing pelvis when driver hit him on training ride

Dimension Data rider Mark Renshaw will miss the opening months of the 2019 season after he broke his pelvis when he was hit by a car during a training ride in his home town of Bathurst, New South Wales.

The 36-year-old, a key member of Mark Cavendish’s leadout train, had been due to start his season at the Australian national road championships next month, but the injury could keep him out until March and see him miss Milan-San Remo for the first time since 2008.

Team doctor Helge Riepenhoff said: “Mark has a fracture of his left pelvis. Unfortunately it will take at least 3-4 months until he will be back racing but the good news is that he doesn’t need surgery.”

Speaking from hospital, Renshaw said: “I was heading back out on the road for the final two hours of my five hour training ride and as I entered the roundabout the car looked like it was going to stop,

“I assume the driver didn’t see me and I hit the front right of the car and flew over the bonnet, landing heavily on my pelvis.

“I’m not sure if the impact with the car or the ground caused my injury’s but it was definitely a scary moment as you now realise it could have been much worse”

“I’m devastated that my pre-season training will be hampered as I was planning a big start to 2019. I returned from our training camp super motivated for next season and I was already into serious training for January’s racing.”

He added: “It’s gutting to have another set-back but as hospital staff have told me, it could have been much worse then what is was.”