In 2023, many said that Derek Gee had a breakout year with his incredible ride at the Giro. Derek Gee had an incredible Giro, with four second-place finishes and two fourths in a Grand Tour debut that will be remembered for years. The Canadian finished second overall in the KOM, second overall in the sprints, second overall in the intermediate sprints, and 22nd overall. He was also second overall in kilometres spent in breaks.
To some, it was hardly a surprise. Riders like multiple national champion and pink jersey-wearer Svein Tuft, directeur sportifs Kevin Field, former pro Gord Fraser, and current pro Mike Woods saw it coming a mile away.
At the time, despite the excitement, some said it wasn’t clear just what he could do. “As Derek is still young and only just developing as a rider, it’s hard to know his true potential. I would be apprehensive to categorize him as a certain type of rider as he’s only just begun his career on the road,” former pro Michael Barry, who rode the Tour de France in 2010, said. “He obviously has the physical abilities to perform well in one-day Classics and one-week stage races based on his power and ability to recover over several days.”
Gee’s toughness at the 2018 Tour de Beauce
Gee’s potential was evident as early as 2018, notably during the Tour de Beauce. Field recalls stage 5 of the 2018 edition, where Gee shone brightly despite challenges.
James Piccoli secures dramatic Tour de Beauce overall victory on final stage
Gee was riding with the national team at the time, and half the team were track riders, the other half were road pros like Tuft. In the final days of the stage race, Team Canada was on the verge of taking home the overall lead through James Piccoli, as well as the team GC. But for that to happen, they needed riders to help support both Piccoli and the remaining ones fighting for top places. The track riders (of which Gee was one) said they felt sick in the morning of the last stage and were worried about compromising their track training.
“They all caught some sort of sniffle, they were sort of hanging on for dear life, as you do in your first Tour de Beauce,” Tuft said. “Derek just stood out from the rest of them—and I’m not saying anything was wrong with the other guys. He was just givin’ er every day, but his attitude was just what you hope for, in a young guy. He was just keen, no matter what happened, he wouldn’t let the race beat him down.”
Hardman Tuft, who was…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…