Michael Woods Makes History as First Canadian to Win in La Route d’Occitanie
Michael Woods has achieved a remarkable fourfold victory in the third stage of La Route d’Occitanie, making him the first Canadian to win in this prestigious French race. Woods soloed to the finish on top of Les Angles in the Pyrenees, securing the top step of the podium for the stage win and earning the leader positions in the general classification, climber’s points, and points classification.
Woods followed an attack from Carlos Rodríquez and successfully maintained the gap with the Spanish cyclist from Ineos. During the final climb, he made a decisive move and dropped his breakaway companion, crossing the finish line alone to claim a well-deserved victory. Reflecting on his achievement, Woods expressed his pride, stating, “I am proud to be the first Canadian to win in this race.”
Following his victory, Woods acknowledged the strong performance of his team in various races, including Jakob Fuglsang’s success in Switzerland. He expressed his happiness at winning in La Route d’Occitanie and emphasized the team’s determination to retain the leader’s jersey and clinch victory in the race. Woods said, “We will do everything to keep the jersey and win this race. The team has a good chance.”
In a previous race, the Mercan’Tour, Woods and Fuglsang raced together and finished first and second, highlighting their strong partnership and consistent performance.
