Michael Morkov is widely regarded as 'the best lead-out man'. In an in-depth interview for RoadCycling the now 38-year old Dane explains the art behind lead-out, what it means to him and much more.
"Leading out is basically all about bringing the sprinter in a winning position. I learned it by understanding the sprint and watching many sprints and trying to sprint as well and finding out what’s the best way to arrive at the finish. Even after doing one hundred bunch sprints, you still learn something each time."
"Before I had turned pro, the best lead-out man at that point was Mark Renshaw and he was the lead-out for Mark Cavendish, who was also the best sprinter at that time. They had an amazing relationship on the road, and they still have the record of winning many races together. Of course, there were others, but Mark Renshaw he was the one who really inspired me."
"When my sprinter wins, I feel like it’s my own victory. I feel like I won the race together with the team. Of course, I don’t get the victory next to my name, but that’s not so important for me, it’s more about the feeling I go to bed with in the evening if you look in the mirror and you can say ‘we won the race today’. It’s all about this feeling you have about yourself and not only about what the results say."