“I do know I’ve the legs to win, I simply need to execute a bit higher,” is how Mike Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) analysed his opening two-thirds of the 2025 Tour de France, during which he has been within the breaks thrice in lower than every week, however has but to hit the jackpot.
Woods actually has the know-how to get Grand Tour stage wins, with the 38-year-old getting two wins within the Vuelta a España and one within the Tour de France at Puy de Dome in 2023.
Nonetheless, regardless of spending 150 kilometres within the break on stage 10, the identical distance en path to Hautacam after which 72 en path to Luchon-Superbagnères, to date it hasn’t labored out.
“Yesterday [Sunday] was among the finest days when it comes to my legs,” Woods instructed Cyclingnews initially of stage 15, “however not when it comes to the end result.”
“It has been a brilliant difficult Tour, I have been making an attempt to win from the break, I tousled large time on stage 10, when it comes to fuelling, and ended up having a toilet break in an RV that I actually did not wish to have!
“I do know the legs are there to win, I simply need to execute a bit higher.”
Woods added that the lengthy shadow solid by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates-XRG) had actually induced some common breakaway members to suppose twice slightly about stepping into the motion.
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Whereas clearly not objecting when his teammates like stage 15 winner Tim Wellens get into the strikes, in the course of final week, the Slovenian star made a degree of not conceding an excessive amount of time to breakaways and has to date claimed a minimum of 4 victories himself.
Nonetheless, one excessive mountain transfer has managed to flee Pogačar’s clutches, and whereas Woods additionally was within the breakaway by the ultra-hilly Massif Central stage final Monday – till he needed to take that premature rest room break – the largest climbs have all the time been the Canadian’s favoured looking floor.
And as he mentioned, seeing what Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) did on Saturday at Superbagneres, regardless of ‘solely’ having a three-minute benefit on the foot of the final ascent on the yellow jersey group, is a reminder that fortune can nonetheless favour the courageous, even within the Pogacar period.
“He has undoubtedly taken the wind out of lots of people’s sails,” Woods mentioned. “In race conferences, earlier than the stage, now we are saying you may want 4 or 5 minutes on the base of a climb to be able to maintain him off.
“However take a look at what Thymen Arensman did yesterday, it provides you hope. You’ve got simply obtained to maintain making an attempt and do what he did, go deep and hope for one of the best.”
Presently working fifth within the mountains rating and 22 factors down on present chief Lenny Martínez (Bahrain Victorious), Woods says he’ll go for it if the chance arises, with the reminiscence of taking the lead for a day in that rating again in 2021 within the Pyrenees nonetheless not too distant.
However his greatest goal are the emblematic climbs left to deal with on this yr’s Tour, just like the Ventoux on Tuesday and the Col de la Loze two days later.
“I wish to succeed, and there are some alternatives left to me; I’ve x-es on the calendar,” he confirmed.
“I used to be up there with Lenny Martinez on the Ventoux [in the CIC-Ventoux race in 2023], he took me out within the dash, it was a shortened model of it due to excessive winds. However I do know it properly and it might be an iconic stage to take a win.”
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