Canadian cyclist wins stage victory for Israeli team in 2023 Tour de France
At 36, Michael Woods showed no signs of ageing as he beat competitors in the last stage of the famous French race
A new Israeli cycling team celebrated its latest success in the Tour de France race after Canadian cyclist Michael Woods became one of the oldest men to ever take a stage victory.
Michael Woods, 36, gave cheer to the Israel-Premier Tech team backed by Canadian-born Israeli businessman and cycling fan Sylvan Adams.
A late starter, Woods only took up cycling nine years ago, at the late age of 27, and his latest feat means that he is the first person to run a four-minute mile and also win a stage of the famous French cycle race.
“I’m still having a pinch-myself moment,” Woods said. “I can’t believe I made it. I’m really proud of myself and proud of my team. It’s special. I’ve always talked about winning a stage at the Tour de France and I finally achieved it.”
This is the Israel-Premier Tech team’s third stage victory, the other two coming in 2022, as Adams hailed the win as “one of the best days ever for the team”.
He added: “I’m so happy for Mike. It’s a great feeling to finish the first week of the Tour with a victory. There will be quite a nice celebration at the hotel tonight.”
The Israeli team now wants to exceed last year’s record. “We have two more weeks to hunt for more success,” said Adams. “We won two stages last year. How nice would it be to exceed that lofty result.”
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