(Paris) One stage from the goal, Michael Woods will not be able to finish the Tour de France for a second consecutive year. Positive for COVID-19, the Ottawa cyclist is forced to miss the 21e stage and the legendary finish on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday evening.
Posted at 8:01 a.m.
” [Je suis] disgusted, ”Woods posted on his Twitter message, relaying the info posted by his Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) team confirming his withdrawal.
Despite being ill, the 35-year-old raced in the ultimate time trial in Rocamadour, where he finished 128e Saturday. In the evening, in Orléans, the one who occupied number 36e rank in the general classification had to decline a request for an interview with The Press since he had to stay in solitary confinement. Until then, the screening tests had turned out to be negative.
In the absence of Woods, his teammates Hugo Houle and Guillaume Boivin as well as Antoine Duchesne, of Groupama-FDJ, will therefore be the three Canadians who will complete this historic Tour, if all goes well. Never had Canada had so many starters at the start.
Unless changed, IPT will only be represented by four riders for this 21e 115.6 km stage which, as tradition dictates, will undoubtedly serve as a parade for the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) before a mass sprint on the Champs-Élysées.
In addition to Houle and Boivin, the Israeli Guy Niv and the Latvian Krists Neilands must set off for the Israeli-Canadian formation, Sunday afternoon, at Paris La Défense Aréna.
Chris Froome and stage winner Simon Clarke also had to retire due to COVID-19. Dane Jakob Fuglsang fractured a rib after a fall in the 15the stage.
Last year, Woods left his first Tour at the end of the 18e stage to prepare for the road event at the Tokyo Olympics, where he placed 5the. The climber fell on the ninth stage this year, which subsequently improved him considerably. He picked up the slack in the final week, finishing third in the 16e stage won by his teammate Hugo Houle.