Michael Russell "Rusty" Woods (born 12 October 1986) is a Canadian professional racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI ProTeam . An accomplished runner as well, Woods was the first person to have both run a sub-four-minute mile and complete the Tour de France.

Career Athletics career Woods' first sport was ice hockey and his childhood ambition was to play as a left wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to becoming a cyclist, Woods was a promising middle-distance runner, setting Canadian national junior records in the mile and 3000 metres in 2005, as well as taking the gold medal in the 1500 metres at the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. However, he suffered a recurring stress fracture in his left foot, exacerbated by excessive training and racing, resulting in his running his last race in 2007. Woods underwent surgery twice in order to correct the problem without success. He took up cycling initially as cross-training before friends persuaded him to enter races.

Woods attended the University of Michigan on a track athletic scholarship, graduating in 2008. While at Michigan, he was coached by Ron Warhurst. +Personal bestsOutdoor Track DisciplinePerformancePlaceDateRecordsResults Score800 Metres1:52.95Ann Arbor, MI (USA)05 MAY 20079441500 Metres3:39.37Cuxhaven (GER)07 JUL 20061115One Mile3:57.48Windsor (CAN)28 JUL 200511063000 Metres7:58.04Ottawa (CAN)29 JUN 2005NU20R10675000 Metres14:14.18University Park, PA (USA)13 MAY 2007953 Indoor Track DisciplinePerformancePlaceDateRecordsResults Score800 Metres1:51.22University Park, PA (USA)11 FEB 200610451500 Metres3:55.71Montréal (CAN)24 JAN 2004948One Mile3:57.87Boston, MA (USA)28 JAN 200611573000 Metres7:58.55Ann Arbor, MI (USA)21 JAN 200610873000 Metres7:52.27 *South Bend, IN (USA)04 FEB 20060 Legend = * Not legal.

Cycling career Woods began cycling professionally with in 2013.

On 20 August 2015 it was announced that Woods would join for the 2016 cycling season.

In 2016, Woods was officially named in Canada's 2016 Olympic team. Woods was also named in the start list for the 2017 Giro d'Italia. He finished the 2017 Giro, his first grand tour, in 38th place, taking two fifth-place stage finishes along the way and helping teammate Pierre Rolland to win a stage. Woods was later named in the start list for the 2017 Vuelta a España where he finished his second Grand Tour in 7th place, taking one third-place finish and five top-tens.

In 2018, Woods scored what he described as "the best result of my career" by finishing second in the Liège–Bastogne–Liège race. In September 2018, Woods won Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España, which finished up a steep climb to Balcón de Bizkaia. On 30 September, Woods finished third in the road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. It was the first medal for Canada at the World Championships since Svein Tuft's silver medal in the time trial in 2008, and their first medal in the road race since Steve Bauer's bronze-medal performance in 1984.

In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Tour de France. In October 2019 he won the oldest classic race, the 100th edition of Milano–Torino. In August 2020, it was announced that Woods was to join from the 2021 season, on a three-year contract. He represented Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics and finished in fifth place in the men's individual road race.

In 2023, Woods won stage 9 of the Tour de France with a climb on the Puy de Dôme, making up over 1 minute in the last few kilometres to win the race.

In 2024, Woods was inducted in the Chelsea Wall of Fame alongside martial artist Dave Leduc and runner Ray Zahab, in a permanent display at the Meredith Centre in Chelsea, Quebec.

In 2025, Woods announced that he would retire at the end of the season.

Major results

2013 9th Overall Tour de Beauce 2014 4th Road race, National Road Championships 6th Overall Tour de Beauce 2015 (1 pro win) 1st Clássica Loulé 2nd Overall Tour of Utah 1st Stage 5 2nd Philadelphia International Cycling Classic 4th Overall Tour of the Gila 1st Stage 5 10th Overall Tour of Alberta 1st Canadian rider classification 2016 2nd Milano–Torino 5th Overall Tour Down Under 2017 2nd GP Miguel Induráin 7th Overall Vuelta a España 9th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2018 (1) 1st Stage 17 Vuelta a España 2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège 3rd Road race, UCI Road World Championships 4th Giro dell'Emilia 4th Tre Valli Varesine 9th Overall Tour of Utah 2019 (2) 1st Milano–Torino 2nd Giro dell'Emilia 2nd Japan Cup 3rd Overall Herald Sun Tour 1st Stage 2 5th Giro di Lombardia 5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya 7th Overall Tour Down Under 8th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 9th Clásica de San Sebastián 10th Overall Tour de Romandie 2020 (2) 1st Stage 7 Vuelta a España 3rd La Flèche Wallonne 7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 3 2021 (2) 2nd Overall Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var 1st Stage 2 3rd Giro dell'Emilia 4th La Flèche Wallonne 5th Road race, Olympic Games 5th Overall Tour de Romandie 1st Stage 4 5th Overall Tour de Suisse 1st Mountains classification 5th Overall Tour of Britain 5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 5th Milano–Torino 9th Giro di Lombardia Tour de France Held after Stage 14 2022 (3) 1st Overall Route d'Occitanie 1st Stage 3 2nd Overall O Gran Camiño 1st Stage 2 2nd Mercan'Tour Classic 6th La Flèche Wallonne 10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 2023 (3) 1st Overall Route d'Occitanie 1st Stage 3 1st Stage 9 Tour de France 2nd Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge 4th La Flèche Wallonne 5th Giro dell'Emilia 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya 7th Tre Valli Varesine 2024 (2) 1st Road race, National Road Championships 1st Stage 13 Vuelta a España 4th Giro dell'Emilia 4th Classic Var 4th Japan Cup 8th Clásica de San Sebastián 8th Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 10th Overall Tour des Alpes-Maritimes 2025 10th Overall Tour Down Under

General classification results timeline Grand Tour general classification results Grand Tour2016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Giro d'Italia — 38 19 — — — — — DNF — Tour de France — — — 32 — DNF DNF 48 — 52 Vuelta a España —7 34 — 34 — DNF — DNF —Major stage race general classification resultsRace2016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Paris–Nice — 54 — — DNF — — — — — Tirreno–Adriatico — — — —8 — — 20 — — Volta a Catalunya 18 37 796NH 11 DNF6 62 — Tour of the Basque Country 53 12 29 — DNF 13 — — — Tour de Romandie — — —105 17 DNF — — Critérium du Dauphiné — — — DNF — — — — — — Tour de Suisse — 26 — —NH5 — — — DNF

Classics results timeline Monument2016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Milan–San Remo — — — — 65 — — — — — Tour of FlandersDid not contest during his career Paris–Roubaix Liège–Bastogne–Liège —9257510 12 — — Giro di Lombardia 31 — 135 299 DNF 12 DNF — Classic2016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Amstel Gold Race — — 20 68NH 32 — DNF — — La Flèche Wallonne 12 11 33 553464 — — Clásica de San Sebastián 61 — —9NH — — —8 — Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec 27 — — 17Not held — 49 — — Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal 30 — —8 — 158 — Milano–Torino2 — —1 —5 — — — DNF Giro dell'Emilia 19 —42 —3 DNF54 — Tre Valli Varesine 40 —4 DNF — — DNF7 — —

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish IP In progress NH Not held

References

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