It wasn’t simple for Derek Gee to get on the GC podium of the Tour of the Alps, but his spirited fightback over the last three stages after a disappointing start reveals his good form and resilient mind before the Giro d’Italia starting May 9.
On Friday’s 112-km route, Gee successfully defended his podium spot from several chaps with usurping aspirations, the closest of whom was Giulio Ciccone. Australian Michael Storer used the second ascent of the Cat. 1 Banberg to attack race leader Thymen Arensman and take back the green jersey lost on Thursday.
Gee wasn’t really in the game until he was 21st and +2:15 off race leader Storer after two stages. Finishing third in a pack of GC players on Stage 3 propelled him up to 15th, but even then, the focus on Israel-Premier Tech was that day’s winner Marco Frigo and American Matthew Riccitello, who was hovering just outside the top-10.
It was Thursday’s heroics that put Gee on the podium and made him one of the Stories of this race. He kept on attacking and found himself in a move way up the road from Storer while making up ground on the dozen riders ahead of him on GC. The way he resisted Storer from nicking his second place on the day showed the Canadian’s grit.
With Gee in third, Riccitello in 9th and Frigo in 21st, Israel-Premier Tech claimed the Tour of the Alps team classification.
Gee has three 2025 stage races under his belt, the 2.1-rated O Gran Camiño which he won, the WorldTour Tirreno-Adriatico where he placed fourth and now third spot in the 2.Pro-rated Tour of the Alps.
Obviously, he faces his stiffest competition of the season in the Giro: 2023 pink jersey and this year’s Volta a Catalunya champion Primož Roglič, Tirreno-Adriatico winner and Catalunya runner-up Juan Ayuso, the ever-spry Mikel Landa, and the man who has had unfinished business with the Giro since 2018—Simon Yates.
His second Giro follows ninth in last year’s Tour de France and a memorable 2023 Giro where he announced himself to the world in grand fashion. Gee came runner-up four times and fourth twice while winning the combativity award.
2025 Tour of the Alps Final GC
1) Michael Storer (Australia/Tudor) 19:48:08
2) Thymen Arensman (The Netherlands/Ineos) +1:33
3) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +4:07
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