Michael Woods came ever so close to winning Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Val overall this Sunday. However, despite being one of the strongest riders on the day, our Canadian had to settle for second place, just five seconds down on the winner. We asked Woods and Dan Martin to give you their versions of the dramatic stage.
Michael Woods:
“Everybody in the team was riding so well today. Five of our guys were in the front at the bottom of the Col de la Madone with only about 30 riders left in the whole bunch. That shows you how strong we were all day, controlling and chasing at such a high pace.
“Close to the top, when my teammates had already given me all they had, I had no choice but to push it by myself.
“I think I was going really hard, and I felt pretty strong, finishing just five seconds away from the overall victory.
“Our super-inspiring performance from everyone here will give us a lot of confidence and the momentum we need as we go to our next races.”
Dan Martin:
“The fact we are so frustrated at second in GC shows the ambition this team has now. The atmosphere and work ethic of the guys was exceptional the last three days, and we all pulled together to control the race the whole day.
“We gave everything to get Mike back in the game and I think he showed he was the strongest in the race. So frustrating to come so close, but we will learn from these days and improve for the next races.”
