'Cycling is a ludicrously dangerous sport' – Mike Woods to retire at the end of 2025

Mike Woods has said that "cycling is a ludicrously dangerous sport" as he announced that he will retire from the sport at the end of the year.

The 38-year-old Canadian, a four-time Grand Tour stage winner, came to cycling late, joining the WorldTour with Cannondale-Drapac aged 29 in 2016.

Since then, he has gone on to win stages of the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, along with finishing on the podium at the UCI World Championships and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The news of his retirement was announced by his team since 2021, Israel-Premier Tech, on Monday morning, with a blog post from Woods.

"Almost every time I race a bike, there is a point where I am flying along in a line of riders at 70 km/h, and I think, 'A million years ago, we were monkeys'," Woods wrote.

"Even if you dropped somebody from 100 years ago into the modern peloton, they would be so confused about what is going on. This sport is crazy, and has morphed into something so far from our original purpose as animals that anyone not born in the past century would not understand it.

"Every time I do a race, I feel an immense sense of luck to be doing it, as it is truly a pure luxury constructed by our own creativity. Riding around France, while literally billions of people watch, is my job, and that is nuts. What puts food on my table and a roof over my head has been riding a bike 30,000–35,000 km every year across all parts of the globe — for the entertainment of others."

However, the sport has its downsides, Woods continued, namely safety, and being away from family.

"I once asked staff on my team: how much would they have to be paid, to drive around in a car at 50 km/h, 70 days a year, for 4-5 hours per day, in a T-shirt and shorts, and twice per year—with no control over when or where—they would be pushed out of the car?" Woods wrote. "Statistically, that is roughly how many times the average pro rider crashes per season. Not one of the staff said less than 500k, and when I asked how many years they would do it, not one said more than two.

"I am now 11 years deep into doing this sport as a profession, and another two as an amateur. The toll it has taken on my health has been significant, and the time I have spent away from my family has been long."

He is not the first to step back from cycling citing safety concerns. Last week, German pro Louis Kitzki retired aged 21 after being present for two deaths in professional bike races.

"Being a father, in particular, has shown me how at odds being one of the best riders in the world is with being a good dad," Woods continued. "Unlike most sports, pro cycling, due to its extensive calendar, is a job that requires unending commitment. For the past five years, I have avoided giving my kids kisses when I pick them up from school in an attempt to prevent getting sick before a race. That is strange.

"More often than not, I sleep in another room, separate from my family, in an effort to optimise my sleep. Every aspect of my life has been examined and studied to maximize my ability to ride a bike. That all-encompassing pursuit I have loved and have no regrets doing, but it is something that can only be sustained for so long."

Woods went on to thank and pay tribute to the support he had along the way, from his family, team staff, and coaches.

The former runner wrote: "I still have big ambitions and plans for the coming years that will involve exploring new arenas in endurance sports (I’ve got some epic plans, so stay tuned for these)."