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Bronchitis keeps Michael Woods from returning to Tirreno-Adriatico

Woods and Dan Martin pulled from ISUN lineup due to "late developing health issues"

Photo by: Sirotti
March 9, 2021
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On Wednesday Michael Woods was supposed to be facing his first WorldTour stage race with new team Israel Start-up Nation at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he won a stage and led the race for two days last season. But bronchitis has kept Woods from being part of a stacked field at the seven-stage Race of the Two Seas.

In a press release on Tuesday, Israel Start-up Nation revealed that both Woods and Dan Martin had to be replaced at the eleventh hour because of “late developing health issues”.

However, Guillaume Boivin will be the Canadian representative for ISUN at the seven-stage race in Italy.

Last September Woods triumphed on Stage 3 into Saturnia and then wore the leader’s jersey until Stage 5’s summit finish on Sassotetto, where he finished +1:46 behind the day’s winner, new leader and eventual champion Simon Yates. Woods placed 8th overall on GC.

Vying for the coveted Neptune’s trident trophy is champion Yates, who is still dreaming of unfinished business at the Giro d’Italia, Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, Tour de France title holder Tadej Pogačar, Thibaut Pinot, two-time winner Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa, João Almeida and Julian Alaphilippe. Thrills will come courtesy of Peter Sagan, new Strade-Bianche champion Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert.

The queen stage is Stage 4. In the latter half of 148 km the riders will ascend Passo Caponelle (12.7 km @ 4.6 percent), descend to the foot of the Prati di Tivo and then clamber for 15 kilometres on 7 percent slope. Stage 5 might be the setting to spring a surprise; four finishing circuits hold a 1.9 km, 9.3 percent climb in Castelfidardo and there’s a moderate ascent to the line. A pan-flat, 11.1-km time trial concludes the race on March 16 on the Adriatic Coast.

Stage 4 is the queen stage.

Boivin isn’t the only Canadian at Tirreno-Adriatico. Hugo Houle lines up for Astana-Premier Tech, and he’ll work for Jakob Fuglsang.