Giro d'Italia: Woods suffers illness, crashes but battles on

Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac) may have crashed on stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia, lost over a minute, and been fighting a chest infection for over a week, but the Canadian is determined to fight on for his first Grand Tour stage victory nonetheless. And he has the moustache to prove it.

Since last week, the riders and (male) members of staff of Team EF Education First-Drapac on this year's Giro d'Italia have all opted to grow moustaches until they get a stage win - when they will be shaving off.

But while Woods did his utmost to ensure the team ran amok with razor blades after Wednesday's summit finish to Osimo, rather than winning, the Canadian ended up fighting to limit his time losses by getting entangled in a crash with five kilometres to go.

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"I took a bit of a risk because I thought I could win the stage. And there was a crucial point in the finale, five kilometres to go, and I was sitting about 15th, and I knew if I took the risk and moved up, I'd be in position five," Woods told Cyclingnews at the start of stage 12.

"And watching the replay now, that was where I had to be, 'cos that's when [Zdenek] Stybar (Quick-Step Floors) attacked and had I been in fifth place, I'd have been able to go with him and maybe had the legs to go with [Simon] Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) when he went for the win.

"But there was a gap, and I went for it, but it kind of closed on me as I was passing and just hit the fence."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com