Cheers rippled down Parc Street as fans covered by the barriers by the finish line saw Pink's image on the big screen. It had been three years since Michael Woods (EF Education First) last ran the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.

At the time, Woods was a pro continental rider with an unusual background, a college miler turned cyclist. Now, with a World Championship bronze medal, a stage win at the Vuelta a España, and a Tour de France debut, he is a leading Canadian rider and well-known to the casual observer on a Sunday afternoon in Parc Mont-Royal.

Woods went on the offensive on the final climb of the Côte Camillien Houde, and although his acceleration helped him pull away from the lead group, the headwind at the summit kept him from breaking away. In a breathless final lap, a group of 18 contested the finish, but Woods had to settle for eighth place behind winner Greg Van Avermaat (CCC).

"The feeling was great, and I tried to make the race as exciting as possible because it's not my best course," Woods said after the race, sitting in the press tent. "The climbs weren't too steep, but I tried to dig in a few times, especially on the final climb up Camillian Houde. I made a few mistakes in the final sprint, but I am still happy with my performance."

[8

Woods' big weapon as a rider is his acceleration on steep slopes, and he admits that sprinting is the most obvious gap in his current arsenal. However, pulling into the line in Montreal was less about pure speed and more about simply being able to keep a moderately sized gear spinning.

"The sprint is really difficult, just because of the final corner with 500 meters to go. Right after the corner someone always attacks, but it's too early. [It's like the 12th round of boxing. Everyone is fatigued, so the punches are weaker towards the end. I just need to get more involved in these sprints. I think it's the last piece missing from my skill set as a Classic rider. I will spend the next few days thinking about this sprint and what went wrong. Hopefully I can improve my performance at the World Championships."

Twelve months ago at the World Championships in Innsbruck, Woods rode in an elite group with Alejandro Valverde, Romain Bardet, and Tom Dumoulin to the finish, but settled for the bronze medal after a four-man sprint. The Austrian mountain course was more suited to Woods' physique than the race in Yorkshire on September 29, but Woods was optimistic about his prospects for this weekend's races in Quebec and Montreal, his first races since August's Clasica San Sebastian.

"I think the fact that it wasn't the Climber's Classic today gives me a lot of confidence going into the end of the season, especially after a six-week break," Woods said.

"The course at the World Championships isn't as tough as last year, but it still has over 4,000 meters of climbing and over 290 kilometers, so I think it's going to be a lot like today's race, which is a lot tougher.

"I think we can have a good race there. It will be hard to get on the podium there, but it's a good chance to showcase Canadian cycling. I want to do well at Il Lombardia. It's a monument that hasn't had a lot of success yet, but I think I can do it."