Michael Woods

Michael Woods is a Canadian professional cyclist who races for the Israel-Premier Tech team. Woods, a latecomer to the cycling scene, is a renowned climber with a versatile skillset that has seen him develop into both an accomplished one-day race and a GC contender in major stage races.

Woods raced in Italy and then on the Continental scene in the United States before landing a contract with Cannondale Pro Cycling in 2016. He hit the ground running in his first season in the WorldTour, finishing in the top 10 at the Santos Tour Down Under and picking up a number of decent placings in European races. The 2017 campaign saw him break into the top 1- in both La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, while he ended the year with seventh overall at the Vuelta a España. Woods finished second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège the next season and then won his first WorldTour race with victory on stage 17 of the Vuelta a España. He also finished third in the men’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships behind Alejandro Valverde and Romain Bardet.

The Canadian was consistent once again throughout the 2019 season, picking up a string of top-10 results, while also making his Tour de France debut. He ended the year with a victory in Milano-Torino.

In 2020, his final season on the American team, Woods won a stage in Tirreno-Adriatico, and again picked up top-10s in two of the Ardennes Classics. A stage win would follow at the Vuelta a España before Woods signed a contract with Israel Start-Up Nation for the beginning of the 2021 campaign. In 2023, Woods finally got over the hump at the Tour de France, winning a thrilling stage on the Puy de Dôme.

Woods has a contract with Israel-Premier Tech through 2025, with the stipulation that he will retire when he feels like he is no longer competitive.