After Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), Giacomo Nizzolo (Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM) or Rafal mother (UAE Team Emirates XRG), it is a new big name for cycling which announced to put an end to his career after the 2025 season. Indeed, Michael Woods announced to leave the professional platoons in a few weeks after more than ten years of career and a record made up of some of the biggest races on the professional calendar. Triple stage winner on the Tour of Spain (in 2018, 2020 and 2024), winner at the top of Puy de Dôme during the Tour de France 2023, the Canada Champion also accumulates honors, whether on World championships or on Liège-Bastogne-Liègewhere the Canadian veteran stacks the top 10. At 38 years old, the Canadian therefore bows out, now having other aspirations and other concerns than those of a professional cyclist.
Video – Michael Woods Triple Winner on the Vuelta
“The price paid on my health is considerable”
On the site of his training, the team Israel Premier Tech, Michael Woods returned to his 10 years of career and his pride as a professional cyclist: “Whenever I run, I feel a huge chance of being able to do it, because it is really a luxury, built by our own creativity. Browse France by bicycle, while literally billions of people are looking at, it's my work – and it's crazy. What allows me to feed my family and put a roof on my head is to pedal 30,000 to 35,000 kilometers per year, around the world, for the entertainment of others. “
“So lucky I was to do this job, he also has his setback. I have often pointed out over the turn, cycling is a ridiculously dangerous sport.” The Canadian had already underlined the risks of the business on his blog, offering solutions to increase the safety of runners in the race. Despite everything, the Canadian is no longer ready to make the sacrifices inherent in the status of professional cyclist: I am 11 years old of professional career, and two others as an amateur. The price paid on my health is considerable, and the time spent far from my family is immense. Being a father, in particular, has shown me how one of the best runners in the world is incompatible with being a good father. Unlike many other sports, professional cycling, with its endless calendar, requires total commitment. For the past five years, I have been avoiding kissing my children when I go to find them at school, to limit the risks of getting sick before a race. It's strange. Very often, I sleep in another room, separated from my family, to optimize my sleep. Each aspect of my life has been scrutinized and analyzed to maximize my bicycle performance. “
It is therefore time for the Canadian to hang up, without putting aside his sports life, which he has been pursuing for many years already: “This total quest, I loved it and I do not regret anything – but it is not something that can be maintained indefinitely. This maximum concentration led me to a bronze medal at the world championships, a second place on a monument, and a stage victory over the largest race in the world. I managed to become one of the best cyclists in the world, and this course, I am incredibly proud. End.
