As Mike Woods (Israel Premier Tech) closed in on Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) on the upper slopes of the Puy de Dome, French television commentators could not stop repeating how the Canadian climbing veteran had timed his ascent of this brutally difficult climb so well. They couldn't stop repeating how the Canadian climbing veteran had timed this brutally difficult climb so well.

"He was two minutes ahead of Jorgenson at the base.

That much was true. But as Woods told a reporter after becoming the first non-European to win at the Puy de Dome, catching up to Jorgenson was not calculated. In fact, until that point, the exact opposite had happened. [I wanted to be in front with Jorgenson when he attacked. But it turned out to be that kind of card."

"I knew I was probably the most marked guy in the bunch, but I didn't play it super straight. When I got to the last four kilometers," i.e., the steepest part of the climb, "I didn't think about winning, I just wanted to time trial to the top and get the best result."

When Johnny Welz won the Puy de Dome in 1988, the Tour took on this race, but the Dane was in his second year as a professional, although 35 years later Woods admitted that at 36 he was not yet in the salon for his last chance to win a stage in the Tour de France, He said

"I've been in the Tour de France for a long time," Woods said.

"I'll be 37 this year. And now I am very proud and very grateful that my dream has come true. My family, my wife, my parents, my team ......."

Woods' experience of racing in the Puy de Dome, where there were no fans for nature conservation, the COVID-19 era, when roadside supporters were also shut out of the race, and the brutally steep climb of the Balcon de Biscaia in the remote Basque Country, the two-time Vuelta a España He said it reminded him of the first of his victories.

"It was deafening until the last 5km, and when the barrier started, there was silence, and it was like I was alone with my thoughts, picking off the riders, one by one."

"It was a really cool climb, you could see it from a distance and it was very unique because there were no fans. It was like the COVID race a few years ago. It was a beautiful climb, a really cool climb."

The rolling approach through central France and the Puy de Dome climb brought back memories of the 2018 Vuelta a España stage duel against Dylan Tuns at BMC five years ago.

"Today was probably one of the hardest climbs, everyone was riding hard throughout and there was an attack with 60km to go; in the 2018 Vuelta, when Teuns attacked, I had to catch him and suffer the last few meters. In that sense, today was like the Puy de Dome."

Woods was interrupted during the press conference by Israeli teammate Simon Clark (himself a stage winner in last year's Tour) and fellow Canadian Hugo Houle, who gave him a victory hug, but because the race radio went out at the Puy de Dome, Woods won He said he could not know that he had won.

But Woods' joy at winning his first Tour de France and the first World Tour win of the 2023 season for Israel Premier Tech was evident anyway. And winning on a mythical climb like the Puy de Dome made it even more special.