On the first day in the Pyrenees, Michael Woods was attentive to join the leading riders and take the polka dot jersey. On the penultimate descent, Woods suffered a minor crash but chased back to the front group. At the top of the last climb, our Canadian put in a strong effort, crossing the line in second place, to take the top ranking in the KOM competition.
"From that moment on, I was trying to play my cards right. I didn't want to spend too much energy fighting Poels for the KOM points, but I also had to take more points than him, which was a difficult task because he's so strong. It was a nice feeling, knowing I had taken the jersey, but I was also cursing myself for crashing. I was so disappointed in myself. Still, I knew I was on a really good day and I'm really proud to be riding in the polka dot jersey tomorrow. Especially on familiar roads in Andorra.
"Growing up, I didn't know anything about cycling, but I always watched the Tour and I found that the KOM jersey was the coolest jersey of them all. It's truly a dream come true to be in that jersey now. I hope I can get a good night's sleep so my body can recover, and I will be able to enjoy it tomorrow."
-Michael Woods
"I've won most of my races, I guess, with solo rides. You just have to find the right moment to attack. It's not just luck, it's looking for the right moment. There was no one in my wheel at that moment and then you have a gap straightway. I think a lot of guys were not expecting an attack there, and once I have a 3 or 4-second gap, it's pretty hard to close me down."
-Bauke Mollema
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