Michael Woods’ streak without a DNF ends before Critérium du Dauphiné’s final stage
Canadian's bold ride on Saturday in torrential rain leads to illness
On Wednesday he reluctantly took over the title of most consecutive days without a DNF/DNS for a WorldTour rider from the unfortunate Chris Froome, but on Sunday Michael Woods’ streak of 212 race days came to end as he took ill before the final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. His last DNS was July 16, 2016 before the fifth stage of the Tour of Poland.
The streak had to end at some point. This will be my first abandon since Tour of Poland 2016. Until today, I believe, I had the most consecutive race starts in the WT (according to pro_cycling_stats )… https://t.co/oYH9bCTPY6
— Michael Woods (@rusty_woods) June 16, 2019
On Instagram, the Canadian wrote, “The streak had to end at some point. This will be my first abandon since Tour of Poland 2016. Until today, I believe, I had the most consecutive race starts in the WT (according to @pro_cycling_stats) however, in all that rain yesterday, I ingested something, and I had a crap night, both literally and figuratively. Would love to be starting with my @ef.educationfirst.procycling boys today, especially after how well we have raced all week, but it’s just not in the cards. #gutted #literally #thestreakends #ugh #nauseaheartburnindigestionupsetstomachdiarrhea”
Woods went for broke on Saturday’s queen stage in biblical rain, leading the race on the day’s final climb with Alexey Luksenko, but the two would succumb to the action of the GC men. Woods came 12th and was sitting at 14th on GC. The EF Education First rider has 35 race days completed in 2019.
Rusty’s non-start on Sunday wasn’t as shocking as Adam Yates’ abandonment midway through the stage due to fever. Scheduled to lead Mitchelton-Scott at the Tour de France, Yates was only 8-seconds in arrears of Jakob Fuglsang at the top of the GC after having led the race for three days. On Saturday Tom Dumoulin did not start the queen stage, as his knee injury from the Giro d’Italia is still bothering him. It’s unclear whether he will contest the Tour.
Woods will now recover and tweak his form before his Tour de France debut.
Greg Van Avermaet of CCC now takes over the mantle of most consecutive days without a DNF/DNS for a WorldTour rider. Van Avermaet is competing in the Tour de Suisse before his sixth consecutive Tour de France.
