Michael Woods (35 years old) is an expert in succeeding on very hard ramps, especially on Spanish soil. The Canadian from the Israel team won the second stage of O Gran Camiño ending at Mirador de Ézaro, with a 1.9-kilometre ascent and an average of 13.6%. He already triumphed in La Vuelta in 2017 on the terrible ramps of the Balcón de Vizcaya and now he does the same in Ézaro, on a climb that he already knew from La Vuelta 2020, since a time trial was held in which Roglic triumphed. After the Canadian came Alejandro Valverde, who at 41 is still fighting. In a day in which Movistar controlled at all times, only the power of Woods left them unsuccessful.
Sosa and Serrano escorted Valverde, who was showing good feelings, and it was with 775 meters to go, in one of the hardest parts of the ascent, that Woods made his change of pace. The Murcian endured Sosa’s wheel, and despite the fact that he tried it alone with 500 meters to go, the Canadian already had enough income. He won by 16 seconds, and with two stages to go he was placed as the leader of the Galician round. This Saturday, the queen stage with three ports (one second and two first) in the last 50 kilometers with the finish line in Alto de Moura. On Sunday, a 15-kilometre time trial in Sarria to meet the winner of the Galician round on his return to the calendar two decades later.