He crossed the finish line arm in arm with Mark Cavendish and Bernhard Eisel on the final stage of the Tour of Britain, ending a 16-year career.

The Australian had announced in July that he would retire at the end of the season, and the week-long Tour of Britain was to be his final stage.

Renshaw participated with his family, stopping along the way to accept a bidon offered by his young son, capturing the emotional moment on camera.

"I cried already at the race," he said. It's an emotional time and I think it's going to get even more emotional in the next 24 hours."

Renshaw, a longtime supporter of Mark Cavendish's victories, was the best lead-out rider in the sport's history, finishing the stage in second last with Cavendish.

They fell from the back of the peloton with Dimension Data and HTC Highroad teammate Bernhard Eisel, who came home arm in arm.

Renshaw said of the gesture, "We talked about it before the finish. 'They're great guys, two of the best teammates I've ever had, so I'm really happy to finish with them.'

Renshaw, a native of Australia's track program, became a road pro with FDJeux.com in 2004 and moved to Crédit Agricole two years later, winning the 2006 Toro Bro Leon and a stage win at the 2008 Tour Down Under, He was a standout performer on the team, and in 2009 he was used on the high-road to tee up Mark Cavendish's sprint wins.

Renshaw won the 2011 Tour of Qatar and served Cavendish for three years before moving to Rabobank the following season to pursue his sprinter ambitions.

He won three races in two seasons with the Dutch team before returning to Cavendish's team in 2014, this time with Omega Pharma-QuickStep; in 2016, Renshaw moved to Dimension Data with Cavendish and that year led the Manxman to four stage victories in the Tour de France.

"My body and mind would not allow me to perform and compete at the level required in a race like the Tour de France," Renshaw said in July.

"I am very fortunate to have made the decision to end this chapter of my life on my own terms and I am very excited about future ventures."