Still no household name, I’d wager, but since my last blog article on the then totally unknown Canadian rider, things have ‘evolved’.

In three years Woods, a late-comer to cycling (31 now), has racked up a few nice results, including 5th place in the Tour Down Under two years ago, a top ten in the Vuelta last year and 2nd in Liege-Bastogne-Liege this spring with a stage win (17) in the Vuelta in August.

Then the World Championships come around…

This is Woods in front, blowing the race apart on the final ‘wall’ of the race, with only Roman Bardet (working for Alaphilippe till he cracked along with most everyone else behind) and inevitable winner, Alejandro Valverde.

I’m not sure about you, but when I see Valverde anywhere near the front at the end of a race, unless Peter Sagan is somewhere in the neighborhood, the money has to be on him. This day was no exception, and Valverde won the sprint by leading it off from the front.

Bardet came in 2nd, with Woods cramping up and finishing 3rd. He said he thought he had enough left to come around Valverde for the win if it hadn’t been for the cramps. That would have been something to behold but we’ll have to wait till 2019 to see what’s in store for this Canuck out of left field.