# Michael Woods (cyclist)

Michael Russell Woods (born 12 October 1986) is a Canadian professional racing cyclist, who rides for UCI ProTeam 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.

## 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. 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. 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. 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.
Woods attended the University of Michigan on a track athletic scholarship, graduating in 2008. While at Michigan, he was coached by Ron Warhurst.
| Discipline | Performance | Place | Date | Records | Results Score |
| 800 Metres | 1:52.95 | Ann Arbor, MI (USA) | 05 MAY 2007 | | 944 |
| 1500 Metres | 3:39.37 | Cuxhaven (GER) | 07 JUL 2006 | | 1115 |
| One Mile | 3:57.48 | Windsor (CAN) | 28 JUL 2005 | | 1106 |
| 3000 Metres | 7:58.04 | Ottawa (CAN) | 29 JUN 2005 | NU20R | 1067 |
| 5000 Metres | 14:14.18 | University Park, PA (USA) | 13 MAY 2007 | | 953 |
| Discipline | Performance | Place | Date | Results Score |
| 800 Metres | 1:51.22 | University Park, PA (USA) | 11 FEB 2006 | 1045 |
| 1500 Metres | 3:55.71 | Montréal (CAN) | 24 JAN 2004 | 948 |
| One Mile | 3:57.87 | Boston, MA (USA) | 28 JAN 2006 | 1157 |
| 3000 Metres | 7:58.55 | Ann Arbor, MI (USA) | 21 JAN 2006 | 1087 |
| 3000 Metres | 7:52.27 * | South Bend, IN (USA) | 04 FEB 2006 | 0 |

### Cycling career

Woods began cycling professionally with Team Québecor Garneau in 2013.
On 20 August 2015 it was announced that Woods would join Cannondale for the 2016 cycling season.
In 2016, Woods was officially named in Canada's 2016 Olympic team. Woods was also named in the start list for the 2017 Giro d'Italia. 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. 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.
In 2018, Woods scored what he described as "the best result of my career" by finishing second in the Liège–Bastogne–Liège race. In September 2018, Woods won Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España, which finished up a steep climb to Balcón de Bizkaia. 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.
In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Tour de France. In October 2019 he won the oldest classic race, the 100th edition of Milano–Torino. In August 2020, it was announced that Woods was to join Israel Start-Up Nation from the 2021 season, on a three-year contract. He represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics and finished in fifth place in the men's individual road race.
In 2023, Woods won stage 9 of the Tour de France with a 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

### 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
    5th Overall Tour of Britain
    5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    5th Milano–Torino
    9th Giro di Lombardia
    Tour de France
       Held after Stage 14

### 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

### 2024 (2)

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Stage 13 Vuelta a España
    4th Giro dell'Emilia
    4th Classic Var
    4th Japan Cup
    8th Clásica de San Sebastián
    8th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal
    10th Overall Tour des Alpes-Maritimes

### 2025

    10th Overall Tour Down Under

### General classification results timeline

Grand Tour general classification results :
| Grand Tour | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Giro d'Italia | — | 38 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | DNF |
| Tour de France | — | — | — | 32 | — | DNF | DNF | 48 | — |
| Vuelta a España | — | 7 | 34 | — | 34 | — | DNF | — | DNF |
| Major stage race general classification results ||||||||||
| Race | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Paris–Nice | — | 54 | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — |
| Tirreno–Adriatico | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 20 | — |
| Volta a Catalunya | 18 | 37 | 79 | 6 | NH | 11 | DNF | 6 | 62 |
| Tour of the Basque Country | 53 | 12 | 29 | — | NH | DNF | 13 | — | — |
| Tour de Romandie | — | — | — | 10 | NH | 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 | 2024 |
| Milan–San Remo | — | — | — | — | 65 | — | — | — | — |
| Tour of Flanders | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career |
| Paris–Roubaix | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career | Has not contested during his career |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 12 | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | 31 | — | 13 | 5 | 29 | 9 | DNF | 12 | |
| Classic | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| 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 | — | — | — | 8 |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec | 27 | — | — | 17 | Not held | Not held | — | 49 | — |
| Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal | 30 | — | — | 8 | Not held | Not held | — | 15 | 8 |
| Milano–Torino | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | — | — | — |
| Giro dell'Emilia | 19 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 3 | DNF | 5 | 4 |
| Tre Valli Varesine | 40 | — | 4 | DNF | — | — | DNF | 7 | |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| IP | In progress |
| NH | Not held |