Canadian cyclist Mike Woods has announced his retirement from professional cycling at the end of the season. The 38-year-old joined the sport late, when he 25, and became professional at 29 in 2016, and went on to win one Tour de France stage, three Vuelta a España stages (the latest of those last year). His final team, where he joined in 2021, is Israel-Premier Tech. Before cycling, Woods had an athletics career.
In a lengthy statement, Woods highlighted the "unending commitment" of cycling, which puts him at odds with being a father. "For the past five years, I have avoided giving my kids kisses when I pick them up from school in an attempt to prevent getting sick before a race. That is strange."
"More often than not, I sleep in another room, separate from my family, in an effort to optimise my sleep. Every aspect of my life has been examined and studied to maximize my ability to ride a bike. That all-encompassing pursuit I have loved and have no regrets doing, but it is something that can only be sustained for so long."
He also commented how "ludicrously dangerous" the sport is, the toll it has taken to his health. "I once asked staff on my team: how much would they have to be paid, to drive around in a car at 50 km/h, 70 days a year, for 4-5 hours per day, in a T-shirt and shorts, and twice per year—with no control over when or where—they would be pushed out of the car? Statistically, that is roughly how many times the average pro rider crashes per season. Not one of the staff said less than 500k, and when I asked how many years they would do it, not one said more than two."
