Mark Renshaw, of Columbia-HTC, will unfortunately be missing the Tour Down Under in January, due to recovering from the Epstein-Barr virus. He was diagnosed earlier this month, and seems to be recovering just fine; he is “showing good initial progress,” according to Team Columbia-HTC doctor Helge Riepenhof. Renshaw was a huge help in Columbia-HTC’s record 85 victories this year. He was absent from training camp this month while he recovers from the virus, and will continue to recover during the first few races of the season. His team is keeping a close eye on his recovery, and his blood tests show good results. “We don’t see his 2010 season goals in any danger. He would have loved to race in Tour Down Under but we are confident that he will once again show great performances in the Grand Tours as a lead out for Mark Cavendish, and that he will be just as strong as he was this year. He may even be fresher for the second half of the season, when the world championships take place in his home country,” says Columbia-HTC team manager Rolf Aldag. Even though he’s been recovering from illness, Renshaw has been organizing a fund-raising event for prostate cancer.

Via Velo News.