Derek Gee sizes up expectations for the Giro after Gran Camiño victory: "Podium may be too big a step"

Derek Gee had a dominant display in the Gran Camiño. He won the time trial and was 2nd in the queen stage, ahead of all his rivals in the overall, which he eventually won ahead of Davide Piganzoli and Magnus Cort Nielsen. With the Giro d'Italia as his main goal for the upcoming months, the Israel - Premier Tech rider as given an update on his sensations.

The Gran Camiño overall was the first stage race the Canadian has won in his career, adding his name to the illustrious list of winners of the recent Spanish race, made up of Alejandro Valverde and Jonas Vingegaard (twice), "It's very good, but I think the best thing is not having the [weather] that Vingegaard had here when he came. We were very lucky because it was very sunny. Looking at the list of winners of this race since it started in 2022, with Valverde and Vingegaard... it's a good list to be on. My big goal this year is the Giro and to try to finish as high as possible overall. It's a great, great start to that campaign."

This race is behind us and Gee is now turning his attention to the next challenge, one of the most prestigious one-week races on the calendar "Tirreno will be a big test, because many of the riders who will be there will also be in the Giro d'Italia, but of course there's still a long way to go. I think we're where we want to be now, but there's still a long way to go."

After a remarkable 2024 season, in which he led the Criterium du Dauphiné and finished 3rd overall, as well as finishing in the top 10 of a grand tour for the first time in his career - he was 9th in the Tour - the 27-year-old rider will be going to a grand tour for the first time totally focused on the general classification: "I think the goal is the general classification, so after being ninth in the Tour I'd like to improve. Obviously it's three weeks, you never know what's going to happen, who's going to take part, what shape I'll be in. There are so many unknowns. The goal will just be to finish as high as possible in the overall standings."

However, for the friendly Israel-Premier Tech rider, aiming for the podium "might be a step too far". "But you never know, it's cycling, anything can happen. I'm not going to say a number, because it's the first Grand Tour where we're going to focus on the overall. It's about getting the process right and working on things we realized last year that we had to improve," he added.