The Tour Stage 18 -- Woods up front

Woods on a rare flat stretch in today's Tour

Today launched what one commentator called three "terrible" days in the Alps. Today the tour climbed three passes in succession, each at elevations of over 2000 metres. Canadian Michael Woods was in the breakaway throughout, distanced by only a handful of the top riders on the last climb and coming in a very respectable seventh overall on the day.

Wpods reminds me more and more of his Canadian predecessor on the same team (then Garmin, now EF), Ryder Hesjedal.  Like Hesjedal he seems to be a doggedly steady climber, able to ride with anyone on the longest steepest hills, but mostly without the power of sudden accelerations that would take him away from the last handful and on to a stage win or overall high placements.   Today a breakaway was permitted to get away, and Woods with it.  In the two remaining mountain stages, however, he's more likely to be supporting his team leader Rigoberto Uran, still placed 9th overall and looking to improve his standing with one or two big days.

Still, good to have a contender to root for.  I'm hoping for several more years of Woods Tours.