Mike Woods ends his career with a fairytale at the World Championships on home soil

Twelve months ago, Mike Woods ' career seemed over. WorldTour cycling had become more of a job than a passion, his last season had been marred by crashes and injuries, and to top it all off, a hernia had prevented him from bidding farewell to the peloton at his home race, the Montreal GP, as he so desired.

The journey that had led him to change his life for cycling, giving him four stage victories in the Grand Tours, didn't seem destined to end on a high note. Many riders would like to choose how, when, and where to end their professional career, but things often don't work out that way. Woods seemed destined to end up among the victims of this cruel fate.

But no: that 'retirement' didn't mean hanging up my bike forever. In fact, the end of my WorldTour contract became an opportunity to get back on the gravel bike, competing in events like The Traka , the Sea Otter Classic , and the Gravel World Series , in a smooth transition rather than a complete stop.

And very quickly, an unexpected door opened: thanks to the points he'd accumulated in his final professional season, Woods could still qualify for the World Road Championships. Scheduled for 2026 in Montreal, it was a near-perfect opportunity to make up for the career finale that had been denied him in 2025.

"It's been on my mind for most of the year," Woods said last week in Quebec, where he wore Team Canada's jersey at the Quebec and Montreal Grand Prix tournaments ahead of the world championship finale. "I really wanted to end my career in Montreal. I couldn't do it last year because of the hernia and the surgery, and I was devastated. Not that I deserved it more than anyone else, but I wanted to end it in Canada."

"Then I looked at the selection criteria and realized I still had enough points from last year to be eligible. I thought if I maintained a certain level of fitness and proved I could do it, I'd want to come back to racing. Then I did the National Championships and did well [seventh place], and from there I realized I could add value to the team at the World Championships. And here we are."