Quebecers Hugo Houle intends to talk to Michael Woods, who announced his retirement from professional cycling on Monday, in order to know how to do it to succeed in “normal” transition. As he had done with his compatriot Antoine Duchesne a few years ago.
Houle, who is 34 years old, has already declared that he saw retirement on the horizon, somewhere after the road cycling world championships which will take place in Montreal in the fall of 2026. And as in any important decision in life, you have to think about it for a long time, and plan it carefully, before making the leap.
“Before talking to him, I’m going to wait for him to live his first year of transition, to discover it a bit. I always try to take information on my former teammates: it was also the case with my good friend Antoine Duchesne, who retired a few years ago. It’s always interesting to chat with these guys, especially for someone like me, who started before Mike and who will finish afterwards, so it’s clear that it will be a big adaptation when I will decide to withdraw myself, “said swell in telephone interview with the Canadian press on Monday, from his home to Monaco.
Woods’ decision was confirmed by his team, Israel-Prime Tech, on its official website. It also means that only one of the three Canadian cyclists who won a stage in the Tour de France is still active, Houle (2022). Steve Bauer (1988) and Woods (2023) are the others.
“I had gone by that at the Tour de Switzerland this summer this summer. He had spoken to me, and after a few steps, I think he had started to get used to the idea, said the Quebecer. He then returned to his decision, there had been negotiations, he hesitated to retire, but yes, today, it became clear. »»
Israel-Prime Tech said that “Mike Woods is several things-an international renowned cyclist, a stage winner at the Tour de France, a appreciated teammate, a phenomenal runner, but above all a husband, a father and a friend”.
PHOTO DANIEL COLE, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Michael Woods won a stage in the Tour de France in July 2023.
For his part, Houle describes him as an exceptional athlete, who had had his crusts to eat before having been successful.
“He was definitely a fighter, a formidable competitor to face,” said Houle about his compatriot. He had arrived at the world championships [en 2018] by being confident to obtain a big result, and he had finished in third place [de la course sur route]. We had all been very surprised, ”remembered the cyclist of Sainte-Perpétue.
“But I knew him before that because he came from running,” he continued. Mike had a very difficult learning with the falls; He had huge physical abilities, but he lacked a little piloting technique. He did his learning to the hard, say, and I am not sure that I would still be on a bicycle if I had experienced everything he had to face. But he never discouraged, and he ended up getting great results from his record. »»
His team has also transmitted fully on their website a message from Woods formalizing the end of their career.
“As they say, any good thing has an end. I still have great ambitions and projects for the years to come, which will lead me to explore new horizons in endurance sports (I have grandiose projects, so stay connected). But […] I decided to retire professional road cycling at the end of this season, “wrote the 38 -year -old Ottavian.
A message that touched Houle, which says he understands the reasons behind his decision to hang his bike.
“As he expressed it in his letter, cycling is not an easy universe. You have to take risks, make a lot of sacrifices by being far from your loved ones for long periods of time, and there is always a time when we know that this is where it ends. For me, the most important thing is that he is at peace with his decision, that he can move on, “said Houle.
Woods also won over his illustrious career three stages in the Tour of Spain and obtained a second position in the classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Ontario does not appear on the list of starters from Israel-Prime Tech for the Cycles Grand Prix in Quebec and Montreal, which will take place on September 12 and 14, respectively. By announcing his retirement, Woods also makes a cross on the 2026 world championships, which will be presented in Montreal.
