Ottawa cyclist Michael Woods wins La Route d’Occitanie for the second year in a row
Canadian Michael Woods won La Route d’Occitanie in Saint-Girons, France for the second year in a row on Sunday.
The 36-year-old from Ottawa had moved into first place by winning the penultimate third stage on Saturday. He finished 18th on Sunday’s stage to top the general classification 10 seconds ahead of Spain’s Cristian Rodriguez.
The Briton Simon Carr won the 64.7-kilometer stage on Sunday.
“It’s very special to win this race for the second time,” said Woods. “This is an area I love very much, not far from my home in Andorra, and to have my family and children there to see me win on Father’s Day was something very special.”
On the final climb of the day, the pack thinned out again, leaving only a handful of riders in the group, including Woods and Israel-Premier Tech teammate Stevie Williams.
“I’m very happy with this race,” said Woods. “My form is good and I’m really looking forward to the Tour [de France] now. I’m ready to go.”
