After a checkered spring, cyclist Michael Woods is setting out to chase his ultimate dream in the 107th Giro d’Italia, which will begin on Saturday near Turin.
The adopted Quebecer has repeated it a few times in recent months, but he now has to achieve the feat.
After two stage victories in the Tour of Spain and one in the Tour de France, “Rusty» Woods hopes to add success on the Giro to complete, at the age of 37, a hat-trick that barely a hundred great champions have been able to achieve in the history of cycling.
No one has forgotten his spectacular comeback even though he was more than two minutes late 4 km from the finish. On July 9, 2023, Woods has already become a cycling legend by overtaking the American Matteo Jorgenson just under 500 meters from the silent summit of Puy de Dôme.
In trust
“I fell ill in the last month and I was not on the Ardennes classics, my favorite races. I think I lost some form but I feel better and I think that after the first week of the Tour, I will be able to chase the breakaway,” explained Woods, 5th at the Tokyo Games.
Experts are already predicting a decisive final week in the Alps with three big stages from May 19 to 22. The penultimate stage in Veneto, marked by two ascents of Monte Grappa, could also smile on the Canadian climber. Woods says he is a little dissatisfied with his level, but points out that he won the 2018 Vuelta in even worse condition.
Less pressure
“My goal is to win a stage at the Giro and that is still possible at the moment. It’s a last goal in my career. I just have to take the breakaway that can be successful. If not this year, there will be another opportunity next year,” he adds simply.
After a darker period, the Israel-Premier Tech team has been accumulating places of honor for a year, even more especially this season. His British teammate Stephen Williams even won on the Flèche Wallonne by attacking the Mur de Huy.
“The spirit is truly incredible in the team right now. The pressure is not always on my shoulders and that makes me happy! », replies the father of two young children.
Jean-Francois Racine
Another Canadian
On this Giro, Woods will have his compatriot Riley Pickrell as a co-host. The Canadian cyclist, only 22 years old, will take part in his first major race.
“Young runners inspire me. I train in Andorra with several of them and it makes me feel younger than my age! “, he said.
The peloton for this first Grand Tour of the season will start on Saturday in Venaria Reale. Slovenian Tadej Pogacar seems unbeatable but the distance to cover between now and May 26 is 3,400 kilometers.
“Many things can happen and the road is long but I believe he will win,” concludes Woods, who we should not see at the Tour de France this year. In his sights, he is aiming for a place in the Paris Games, participation in the Tour of Spain which ends on September 8 and participation in the two races in Montreal and Quebec.
From May 4 to 26, 2024
3400.8 km
21 steps
The composition of the Israel-Premier Tech team
Michael Woods, Riley Pickrell, Simon Clarke, Nick Schultz, Marco Frigo, Hugo Hofstetter, Nadav Raisberg and Ethan Vernon.
The favorites for the pink jersey
-Tadej Pogacar
-Geraint Thomas
-Damiano Caruso
-Eddie Dunbar
-Romain Bardet
The sprinters
-Jonathan Milan
-Caleb Ewan
-Fernando Gaviria
-Biniam Girmay
To monitor
-Filippo Ganna
-Julian Alaphilippe
-Christophe Laporte
-Esteban Chaves
-Michael Woods
-Domenico Pozzovivo
Some absent : Primoz Roglic, Derek Gee, Joao Almeida, Wout van Aert
