Giro sensation Derek Gee breaks through: "I’m relieved, really happy… and honestly hungrier than ever"

"At the start of the Giro d'Italia, I didn’t want to put a number on it at the start," Gee begins his story. "But, the number I had in my head was a top five. So I’m relieved and I’m very, very happy to have been able to achieve that. I don’t think two years ago I ever could have imagined this." Two years ago, the Israel-Premier Tech rider was not yet a top performer in stage races, which has changed dramatically over the past two seasons.

The Canadian follows in the footsteps of his compatriot Ryder Hesjedal, who finished fifth in the Giro in 2015. But the now 44-year-old climber was even better in 2012, finishing first. Gee has only just begun his story in the GC, but this has left him wanting more. "And, to be honest, it just makes me a lot hungrier for more, because I know there are still areas we can improve. We’ve only been doing this GC project for a year now so I’m really looking forward to more."

In 2023, the ball started rolling for Derek Gee as a GC contender. His strong performances in breakaways caught the attention of sports director Sam Bewley, who, together with the staff, began to consider whether Gee had more to offer. "Because of the way he was climbing and obviously how strong he was."

The first big goal for a good GC? That was the Giro d'Italia. "The objective for the Giro was top five. It wasn’t an objective we shared liberally with the riders, we just focused on trying to finish as high up the GC as we could. Gee was given a plan, the right preparation, and a team around him. Everything fell into place: Gee rode consistently, climbed with the best, and ultimately finished fourth in the final classification. It was an achievement the team is very proud of."

"So it’s a very, very rewarding result, for the team and for Derek, and, like I say, validation of where we can go with him," Bewley concludes. "With the right preparation, the right hard work, and the right teammates around him, it can be effective. So it’s a very, very rewarding result, for the team and for Derek, and, like I say, validation of where we can go with him."