 Woods at the 2015 Tour of Alberta | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Russell Woods[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Woodsy, Rusty[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 October 1986 East York, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb)[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||
| Current team | Israel–Premier Tech | ||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | ||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||
| Rider type | Climber | ||||||||||||||
| Amateur team | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Stevens Racing[3] | ||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | |||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Team Québecor Garneau[4] | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Amore & Vita–Selle SMP[4] | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | 5-hour Energy[4] | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2020 | Cannondale[5][6] | ||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Israel Start-Up Nation | ||||||||||||||
| Major wins | |||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
| |||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
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Michael Russell Woods (born 12 October 1986) is a Canadian professional racing cyclist, who rides for UCI WorldTeam Israel–Premier Tech. An accomplished runner as well, Woods was the first person who has run a sub-four-minute mile to complete the Tour de France.[7][8][9][10]
Career
Athletics career
Woods' first sport was ice hockey and his childhood ambition was to play as a left wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.[2] Prior to becoming a cyclist, Woods was a promising middle-distance runner, setting Canadian national junior records in the mile and 3000 metres in 2005, as well as taking the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships.[3] However, he suffered a recurring stress fracture in his left foot, exacerbated by excessive training and racing, resulting in his running his last race in 2007.[3][11] Woods underwent surgery twice in order to correct the problem without success. He took up cycling initially as cross-training before friends persuaded him to enter races.[3]
Woods was taught English at school by Paul Dewar, who was later elected as a Member of Parliament.[2] Woods attended the University of Michigan on a track athletic scholarship, graduating in 2008.[3] While at Michigan, he was coached by Ron Warhurst.[12]
Outdoor Track
Indoor Track
Legend = * Not legal. |
|---|
Cycling career
Woods began cycling professionally with Team Québecor Garneau in 2013.[14]
On 20 August 2015 it was announced that Woods would join Cannondale for the 2016 cycling season.[15]
In 2016, Woods was officially named in Canada's 2016 Olympic team.[16] Woods was also named in the start list for the 2017 Giro d'Italia.[17] He finished the 2017 Giro, his first grand tour, in 38th place, taking two fifth-place stage finishes along the way and helping teammate Pierre Rolland to win a stage.[18] Woods was later named in the start list for the 2017 Vuelta a España where he finished his second Grand Tour in 7th place, taking one third-place finish and five top-tens.[19]
In 2018, Woods scored what he described as "the best result of my career" by finishing second in the Liège–Bastogne–Liège race.[20] In September 2018, Woods won Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España, which finished up a steep climb to Balcón de Bizkaia.[21][22] On 30 September, Woods finished third in the road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. It was the first medal for Canada at the World Championships since Svein Tuft's silver medal in the time trial in 2008, and their first medal in the road race since Steve Bauer's bronze-medal performance in 1984.[23][24]
In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Tour de France.[25] In October 2019 he won the oldest classic race, the 100th edition of Milano–Torino.[26] In August 2020, it was announced that Woods was to join Israel Start-Up Nation from the 2021 season, on a three-year contract.[8] He represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics and finished in fifth place in the men's individual road race.[9]
In 2023, Woods won stage 9 of the Tour de France with a spectacular climb on the Puy de Dôme, making up over 1 minute in the last few kilometres to win the race.
Major results
- 2013
- 9th Overall Tour de Beauce
- 2014
- 4th Road race, National Road Championships
- 6th Overall Tour de Beauce
- 2015 (1 pro win)
- 1st Clássica Loulé
- 2nd Overall Tour of Utah
- 1st Stage 5
- 2nd Philadelphia International Cycling Classic
- 4th Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stage 5
- 10th Overall Tour of Alberta
- 1st
Canadian rider classification
- 1st
- 2016
- 2nd Milano–Torino
- 5th Overall Tour Down Under
- 2017
- 2nd GP Miguel Induráin
- 7th Overall Vuelta a España
- 9th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 2018 (1)
- 1st Stage 17 Vuelta a España
- 2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 3rd
Road race, UCI Road World Championships - 4th Giro dell'Emilia
- 4th Tre Valli Varesine
- 9th Overall Tour of Utah
- 2019 (2)
- 1st Milano–Torino
- 2nd Giro dell'Emilia
- 2nd Japan Cup
- 3rd Overall Herald Sun Tour
- 1st Stage 2
- 5th Giro di Lombardia
- 5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 7th Overall Tour Down Under
- 8th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
- 9th Clásica de San Sebastián
- 10th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 2020 (2)
- 1st Stage 7 Vuelta a España
- 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
- 7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st Stage 3
- 2021 (2)
- 2nd Overall Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var
- 1st Stage 2
- 3rd Giro dell'Emilia
- 4th La Flèche Wallonne
- 5th Road race, Olympic Games
- 5th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1st Stage 4
- 5th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st
- 5th Overall Tour of Britain
- 5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 5th Milano–Torino
- 9th Giro di Lombardia
- Tour de France
- Held
after Stage 14
- Held
- 2022 (3)
- 1st
Overall Route d'Occitanie
- 1st Stage 3
- 2nd Overall O Gran Camiño
- 1st Stage 2
- 2nd Mercan'Tour Classic
- 6th La Flèche Wallonne
- 10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 2023 (3)
- 1st Overall Route d'Occitanie
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 9 Tour de France
- 2nd Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge
- 4th La Flèche Wallonne
- 5th Giro dell'Emilia
- 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 7th Tre Valli Varesine
General classification results timeline
| Grand Tour general classification results | ||||||||
| Grand Tour | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia |
— | 38 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — |
 Tour de France |
— | — | — | 32 | — | DNF | DNF | 48 |
| Vuelta a España |
— | 7 | 34 | — | 34 | — | DNF | — |
| Major stage race general classification results | ||||||||
| Race | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Paris–Nice |
— | 54 | — | — | DNF | — | — | — |
 Tirreno–Adriatico |
— | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 20 |
 Volta a Catalunya |
18 | 37 | 79 | 6 | NH | 11 | DNF | 6 |
| Tour of the Basque Country |
53 | 12 | 29 | — | DNF | 13 | — | |
| Tour de Romandie |
— | — | — | 10 | 5 | 17 | DNF | |
 Critérium du Dauphiné |
— | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — |
| Tour de Suisse |
— | 26 | — | — | NH | 5 | — | — |
Classics results timeline
| Monument | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | — | — | — | — | 65 | — | — | — |
| Tour of Flanders | Has not contested during his career | |||||||
| Paris–Roubaix | ||||||||
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| Giro di Lombardia | 31 | — | 13 | 5 | 29 | 9 | DNF | |
| Classic | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Amstel Gold Race | — | — | 20 | 68 | NH | 32 | — | DNF |
| La Flèche Wallonne | 12 | 11 | 33 | 55 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | 61 | — | — | 9 | NH | — | — | — |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec | 27 | — | — | 17 | Not held | — | 49 | |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal | 30 | — | — | 8 | — | 15 | ||
| Milano–Torino | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | — | — |
| Giro dell'Emilia | 19 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 3 | DNF | 5 |
| Tre Valli Varesine | 40 | — | 4 | DNF | — | — | DNF | 7 |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| IP | In progress |
| NH | Not held |
References
- 1 2 McMahon, Daniel (25 May 2017). "A sub-4-minute miler at age 18, Rusty Woods is now lighting up pro cycling at age 30". Business Insider. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- 1 2 3 Woods, Michael (13 October 2015). "Michael Woods: Letting the ink dry". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Holder, Gord (28 August 2013). "Profile: Ottawa's Mike Woods' journey from runner to racing in the Tour of Alberta". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- 1 2 3 Michael Woods at Cycling Archives
- ↑ "EF Education First Pro Cycling". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ↑ Bacon, Ellis (1 January 2020). "2020 Team Preview: EF Education First". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ↑ "Israel Start-Up Nation". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- 1 2 "Top Canadian cyclist to join Israeli Tour de France team". The Times of Israel. The Times of Israel Ltd. Agence France-Presse. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- 1 2 "Mike Woods". Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ↑ Kelly, Madeleine (29 July 2019). "Mike Woods becomes first person to run sub-4 mile and finish the Tour de France". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ↑ Malach, Pat (3 March 2015). "Michael Woods: Turning running heartbreak into cycling success". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ↑ Woods, Michael (1 January 2016). "Michael Woods: Alone on a mountain top". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ↑ "Michael WOODS | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ↑ "Canadian cyclist Michael Woods among top 10 at Vuelta". Retrieved 4 September 2017.
- ↑ "Cannondale-Garmin announces Mike Woods, former runner-turned-pro-cyclist, to join team in 2016". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ↑ Tozer, Jamie (29 June 2016). "Returning Olympians highlight Canada's cycling team". www.olympic.ca. Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ↑ "2017: 100th Giro d'Italia: Start List". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ↑ "A sub-4-minute miler at age 18, Rusty Woods is now lighting up pro cycling at age 30". Business Insider. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ↑ "Michael Woods". www.procyclingstats.com.
- ↑ Ryan, Barry (22 April 2018). "Jungels wins Liege-Bastogne-Liege". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ↑ "Vuelta a Espana 2018: Simon Yates maintains overall classification lead". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ↑ "Michael Woods: How personal tragedy inspired Canadian cyclist's greatest success". BBC Sport. 19 June 2019.
- ↑ "Mike Woods achieves rare Canadian cycling feat at road race worlds". CBC Sports. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ↑ Sturney, Rob (30 September 2018). "Rusty Woods bronze, Valverde gold in thrilling finale to Innsbruck 2018". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Gripped Publishing Inc. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
It's Canada's first medal in the elite men's road race since Steve Bauer's bronze in Barcelona in 1984.
- ↑ "2019: 106th Tour de France: Start List". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ↑ "Woods wins Milano-Torino". cyclingnews.com. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
External links
- Official website
- Michael Woods at World Athletics
- Michael Woods at UCI
- Michael Woods at Cycling Archives
- Michael Woods at ProCyclingStats
- Michael Woods at Cycling Quotient
- Michael Woods at CycleBase
- Michael Woods at Olympedia