Chris Froome believes teammate Gee can fight for top Giro result: "Derek has the personality to be a leader in a grand tour"

Israel - Premier Tech are not putting exclusive focus on the Tour de France, and this year they are certainly putting a lot of their chips on the Giro d'Italia. Besides Corbin Strong who will hunt for stage wins in the sprints and hilly days, Derek Gee has made it his main goal of the season and brings in a strong support crew for the mountains capable of challenging the World Tour teams.

Chris Froome, who teamed up with Gee during the recent Tour of the Alps where the Canadian rode to a strong third place in the overall classification, has had nothing but positive things to say towards his teammates ambitions in the upcoming Corsa Rosa:

“Derek has the personality to be a leader in a grand tour. And he certainly also has the physical capacity to go for a good final classification," Froome told Wielerflits. "He already made it into the top 10 in the Tour de France last year, so it’s great that he’s now making the Giro a goal.”

Gee started off his season at O Gran Camiño, and with the modest competition present, he managed to take a confidence-boosting victory to open up his season. However facing much stronger competition at Tirreno-Adriatico, he finished fourth in the overall classification - behind Juan Ayuso and Antonio Tiberi who he will face in Italy, but ahead of many other of his rivals.

In the Alps he had a rough start but his form improved significantly throughout the five days, and he comes into the Giro with great form and a lot of motivation. After proving himself as a Grand Tour rider last summer with a stellar ninth spot at the Tour de France, the podium is a realistic goal for the next few weeks.

“I think he proved in the Tour of the Alps that he’s in good shape in the run-up to the Giro," Froome argued. "Let’s see what’s possible for him. After that top 10 in the Tour… And if everything goes well for him, then he can really fight for the final victory.”