Former Canadian monitor star Michael Woods wins Tour de France stage

Michael Woods, 36, of Toronto had the most effective day of his biking profession Sunday, profitable the ninth stage of the Tour de France. The sub-four-minute miler sat patiently behind chief Matteo Jorgenson of the Movistar staff, who led the stage for 47 km, making the most of Jorgenson’s flagging vitality solely 400m from the highest of the legendary Puy de Dôme and surging forward for the stage win. Woods, a former 1,500m runner and Canadian document holder, rides for the Israel–Premier Tech staff.

🏆🇨🇦 @rusty_woods wins on the prime of the Puy de Dôme!

🏆🇨🇦 @rusty_woods s’impose au Puy de Dôme !#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/X3LRwBC79s

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 9, 2023

Woods and Jorgenson have been a part of an early breakaway of 14 riders that additionally included stage 9 runner-up Pierre Latour of France and third-place finisher Matej Mohoric of Slovenia. 

Initially from Ottawa, Woods has held the Canadian U20 mile document (3:57.48) and U20 3,000m document (7:58.04) since 2005. He was a multi-year nationwide champion in operating and gained gold on the Pan American Junior Championships throughout his early years. Woods ran on the College of Michigan, however transitioned from operating to biking after repeated foot accidents introduced a halt to his operating profession; he went professional as a bike owner in 2013 and made the Canadian Olympic staff for Rio in 2016. He additionally competed on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, ending fifth within the males’s particular person street race.

Michael Woods is making his Tour de France debut

In 2018, Woods gained a stage within the Vuelta a España; like Sunday’s Tour stage win, it was on the fruits of a steep climb. He first competed within the Tour de France in 2019 (the primary Canadian to compete within the Tour since 2016), using for the US-based EF Schooling First staff and ending thirty second total. He didn’t end in 2021 or 2022, so Sunday’s stage victory represents a large success for the Canadian. 

2022 winner Jonas Vingegaard of Workforce Jumbo-Visma retains the yellow jersey however misplaced about eight seconds to the Slovenian celebrity Tadej Pogacar.