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Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Canadian Michael Woods headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for stage wins
Published Jun 27, 2025 • 3 minute read Canada's Michael Woods, centre, waves from the podium after winning the ninth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182.5 kilometres (113.5 miles) with start in Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat and finish in Puy de Dome, France, Sunday, July 9, 2023. Photo by Daniel Cole / AP Canadian Michael Woods is headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for a repeat of 2023 when he won a stage in the storied Grand Tour race. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 38-year-old from Ottawa will ride alongside fellow Canadian Guillaume Boivin in Israel-Premier Tech's eight-man team for the 3,320-kilometre Tour, which runs from July 5 to 27. Team sporting director Steve Bauer, who rode in 11 editions of the Tour de France and was the first Canadian to win a stage (in 1988), has high hopes for the team but is realistic about the challenge that lies ahead. 'It's simply said, yet difficult to achieve — we want to win a stage,' Bauer said in a statement. 'We've assembled the best team from our current healthy roster with the aim of achieving this goal. 'It's a common goal for every team, and that's where the challenge lies at the highest level of our sport. We have to be sharp from Day 1 and, in particular, through the first 10 days, we'll analyze how we can have a shot at nearly every stage, because we can't afford to let any opportunities go. We have the riders who can be in the mix to win. Our day-to-day tactics will be very important, along with how we manage the guys.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Woods returns to the race two years after becoming the third Canadian to win a stage on the Tour. Israel-Premier Tech teammate Hugo Houle was the second, winning the 16th stage of the 2022 edition. Woods is also the last Israel-Premier Tech rider to win a Grand Tour stage — at the Spanish Vuelta last August. 'It's a crazy race and it's the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me — in a good way, but it's such a challenging race,' he said. 'The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible. Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I've received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I'm looking forward to returning to the Tour.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Woods, an accomplished climber, says he is not targeting the first week. 'Everything from Stage 6 onward I'm excited about,' he said. 'Don't expect to see me at all during those opening stages. I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I've won a stage in was the only one I didn't crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins.' Woods' best general classification finish at the Tour was 32nd in 2-19. He did not finish the race in 2021 and '22 and was 48th in 2023. Fellow Canadian Derek Gee led Israel Premier-Tech at the Giro d'Italia in June, finishing fourth overall. The 27-year-old from Ottawa was ninth overall in last year's Tour de France but is not on this year's team. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The other team members this year are Germany's Pascal Ackermann, Britain's Joe Blackmore and Jake Stewart, France's Matis Louvel, Kazakhstan's Alexey Lutsenko and Latvia's Krists Neilands. 'We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two, and three will be intense,' said Bauer. 'Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, too, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. It will be important for our guys to be ready to go hunting for victories when these opportunities come. 'In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he's proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We'll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we'll utilize his strengths as we go forward.' For the first time since 2020, the Tour will be held exclusively in France. The 21-stage race features seven flat stages, six hilly stages, six mountain stages (with five mountain finishes) and two time trials. The field includes 184 riders representing 23 teams. The race starts in Lille with a flat 184.9-kilometre stage. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Toronto Raptors News Music Toronto Raptors Canada
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian Michael Woods headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for stage wins
Canadian Michael Woods is headed to his fifth Tour de France, looking for a repeat of 2023 when he won a stage in the storied Grand Tour race. The 38-year-old from Ottawa will ride alongside fellow Canadian Guillaume Boivin in Israel-Premier Tech's eight-man team for the 3,320-kilometre Tour, which runs from July 5 to 27. Team sporting director Steve Bauer, who rode in 11 editions of the Tour de France and was the first Canadian to win a stage (in 1988), has high hopes for the team but is realistic about the challenge that lies ahead. 'It's simply said, yet difficult to achieve — we want to win a stage,' Bauer said in a statement. 'We've assembled the best team from our current healthy roster with the aim of achieving this goal. 'It's a common goal for every team, and that's where the challenge lies at the highest level of our sport. We have to be sharp from Day 1 and, in particular, through the first 10 days, we'll analyze how we can have a shot at nearly every stage, because we can't afford to let any opportunities go. We have the riders who can be in the mix to win. Our day-to-day tactics will be very important, along with how we manage the guys.' Woods returns to the race two years after becoming the third Canadian to win a stage on the Tour. Israel-Premier Tech teammate Hugo Houle was the second, winning the 16th stage of the 2022 edition. Woods is also the last Israel-Premier Tech rider to win a Grand Tour stage — at the Spanish Vuelta last August. 'It's a crazy race and it's the last race on the calendar that I do that scares me — in a good way, but it's such a challenging race,' he said. 'The level is so high. The risks are so big, but the rewards are so incredible. Winning a stage there in 2023 was the crowning achievement of my career. Given the level of excitement around that win and the support I've received since I achieved it, I can say it changed my life. For all of those reasons, I can say I'm looking forward to returning to the Tour.' Woods, an accomplished climber, says he is not targeting the first week. 'Everything from Stage 6 onward I'm excited about,' he said. 'Don't expect to see me at all during those opening stages. I want to try and stay safe. The only Tour I've won a stage in was the only one I didn't crash in. If I can stay upright in the first week, then there are opportunities in the second and third weeks for stage wins.' Woods' best general classification finish at the Tour was 32nd in 2-19. He did not finish the race in 2021 and '22 and was 48th in 2023. Fellow Canadian Derek Gee led Israel Premier-Tech at the Giro d'Italia in June, finishing fourth overall. The 27-year-old from Ottawa was ninth overall in last year's Tour de France but is not on this year's team. The other team members this year are Germany's Pascal Ackermann, Britain's Joe Blackmore and Jake Stewart, France's Matîs Louvel, Kazakhstan's Alexey Lutsenko and Latvia's Krists Neilands. 'We have several guys who will have opportunities in the first week. Stages one, two, and three will be intense,' said Bauer. 'Certainly, Ackie and Jake will be key men, backed up by a solid support group. There could be a couple of potential breakaway stages before the first rest day, too, depending on how the peloton reacts and the race evolves. It will be important for our guys to be ready to go hunting for victories when these opportunities come. 'In the high mountains, Mike is our best climber, and he's proven he can win Grand Tour stages. We'll look to keep him out of trouble in the first few days, and then we'll utilize his strengths as we go forward.' For the first time since 2020, the Tour will be held exclusively in France. The 21-stage race features seven flat stages, six hilly stages, six mountain stages (with five mountain finishes) and two time trials. The field includes 184 riders representing 23 teams. The race starts in Lille with a flat 184.9-kilometre stage. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian rider Mike Woods drops out of Tour de Suisse due to illness
PIURO – Canadian rider Mike Woods was forced to abandon the Tour de Suisse on Stage 4 Wednesday due to illness. The 38-year-old from Ottawa, riding for the Israel-Premier Tech team, was 22nd in the general classification rankings after finishing 12th in Stage 3. Portugal's João Almeida, riding for UAE Team Emirates XRG, won Wednesday's 171-kilometre stage, the first major mountain stage of the race. France's Romain Grégoire, with Groupama-FDJ, remains in the overall general classification lead. The eight-stage race covers 1,300 kilometres and more than 20,000 metres in altitude between the start in Küssnacht and Stockhütte, which are just 16 kilometres apart. The 88th edition of the race, which wraps up Sunday, also features a foray into northern Italy for the first time. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
British rider Simon Yates wins elusive Giro d'Italia title, Canada's Gee finishes fourth
ROME (AP) — British rider Simon Yates cruised to overall victory in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday — finally winning the race that had eluded him so often. After attacking on the gravel-road climb to take the pink jersey in the penultimate stage on Saturday, Yates finished nearly four minutes ahead of runner-up Isaac Del Toro , the 21-year-old Mexican who wore pink for 10 days before Yates took control. It's the second Grand Tour title for Yates after he won the Spanish Vuelta in 2018. Ottawa's Derek Gee, the lead rider for the Israel-Premier Tech team, was fourth overall to earn his best result at a Grand Tour. He was ninth in last year's Tour de France. Yates wore pink for 13 days during the 2018 Giro before cracking on one of the final climbs. He also had to withdraw from the Italian race in 2020 and 2022 — because of coronavirus and a knee injury, respectively. 'I'm still in shock of what I've done,' Yates said. 'It's something that I've been working toward for a long time.' Yates, who rides for Team Visma Lease a Bike, finished three minutes 56 seconds ahead of Del Toro and 4:43 ahead of Richard Carapaz, the 2019 champion from Ecuador. Gee, who was 11th in Sunday's final stage, was 6:23 behind Yates. Dutch rider Olav Kooij, Yates' teammate, won the final stage in a sprint finish. During the non-competitive neutralized period just before the mostly ceremonial final stage actually began, the peloton passed through the Vatican and was blessed by Pope Leo XIV . The 143-kilometre (89-mile) final stage concluded with a circuit of eight laps through downtown Rome and finished next to the Circus Maximus. At age 32, Yates already acknowledged that this victory is 'the peak' of his career. His best finish in the Tour de France was fourth in 2023. Twin brothers Yates and his twin brother, Adam, have long been among the peloton's elite. Adam Yates rode this Giro for UAE Team Emirates as a support rider for Del Toro — so was competing against his brother. But the brothers posed arm-in-arm for photos together during the final stage. Before the final stage started, a moment of silence was observed following the death of former Visma rider Robert Gesink's wife. Del Toro top young rider Del Toro finished with the white jersey for the top young rider. Despite his tactical mistakes on Saturday, Del Toro appears to have a promising career ahead of him. This was just his second Grand Tour after placing 36th in the Vuelta last year. 'I'm learning,' Del Toro said. 'I should be happy with myself.' Danish rider Mads Pedersen took the maroon jersey for points after winning four stages. Lorenzo Fortunato of Italy took the blue jersey for the mountain classification. ___ AP cycling:
NBC Sports
17-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ayuso bursts to stage win as Roglič takes overall lead at Giro d'Italia
Primož Roglič took the overall lead of the Giro d'Italia and Juan Ayuso impressed with his victory in the first summit finish on Friday. The Spaniard earned his first ever Grand Tour stage victory with a burst of energy 400 meters before the end of the seventh stage, ahead of his UAE Team Emirates teammate Isaac Del Toro and Egan Bernal. Roglič, the pre-race favorite and 2023 champion, crossed next — the peloton all four seconds back. It was good enough for Roglič to take the pink jersey. Ayuso improved to second overall, trailing Roglič by four seconds. Del Toro was third, nine seconds off the lead. Friday's stage was the hardest so far with four classified climbs on the 168-kilometer (104 mile) route from Castel di Sangro, including the top category ascent to the finish in Tagliacozzo. 'This win is a big step in my career,' Ayuso said. 'This is my fourth Grand Tour, I've been close to winning at the Vuelta. To do it today at my first Giro d'Italia is special.' Ayuso calculated his late push. 'I knew that I could do only one attack and not mess around with two or three on this final which was very explosive,' he said. 'Others started attacking before. When I saw my distance I went full gas. It was important to not only get the win but also try and recover the time I lost in the time trial.' Femur broken The big crash in Thursday's stage took its toll on teams. Jai Hindley, the 2022 champion, was concussed. Before Friday's stage, the Israel-Premier Tech team reported that Czech cyclist Jan Hirt broke his right femur in the crash. Incredibly, Hirt finished the stage and then went to the hospital. Juri Hollmann of Alpecin Deceuninck sustained a 'double fracture of the right forearm and a complicated fracture of the right hip,' his team said. The German was being flown to Belgium for surgery. Michel Ries of the Arkea-B&B Hotels team also didn't start Friday's stage. Saturday's stage is a 197-kilometer (122-mile) route from Giulianova, a coastal town on the Adriatic Sea, to Castelraimondo. The Giro ends in Rome on June 1.
