"I’m happy with where I ended up": Derek Gee stays positive while Giulio Ciccone rules out GC hopes

Derek Gee found some solid takeaways from the first big mountain finish at the Giro d'Italia. Even though he lost time to Jonas Vingegaard on a very windy stage 7 up the Blockhaus climb, the Canadian rider is feeling good about his form. After falling behind the top group, he managed to pace himself well and pass several riders before the finish line, finishing right behind teammate Giulio Ciccone.

The Blockhaus climb was just as hard as everyone thought it would be. Vingegaard made his winning move with 5.5 kilometers left and rode away alone, leaving Felix Gall and Jai Hindley to take second and third.

The climb was made even harder by the weather. The strong winds turned it into a real fight just to stay tucked behind other riders to save energy. "I’m happy with where I ended up," Gee-West said right after the finish. "I started coming back on guys at the end. For myself, because it started so hard, it’s not the best climb to try and end up in the win, but I’m happy with where the legs were."

He was also honest about how much the windy conditions hurt after such a long ride. "It’s brutal," he added. "You’re doing a 40 minute effort and then you’ve got to fight with guys to try and do a little bit less. It’s another element 240km into the day that you don’t want to be thinking about, but it makes it an interesting climb."

Even though he couldn't stick with the top guys when they attacked, Gee sees his performance as a good sign. As the race heads into more mountains, he feels like his body is heading in the right direction. "Every day I’m feeling a little bit better," he explained. "Hopefully, if that continues for two more weeks, then things will be looking good."

Gee's teammate, Giulio Ciccone, also had a solid day on his home roads and finished seventh, just two seconds ahead. Gee mentioned that he tried to team up with Ciccone near the top, but the noise and action made it too hard to talk.

"It’s his region and his climbs," Gee said about Ciccone. "At the end there, I wanted to try and communicate with him, maybe give a pull and return the favour, but in the last corner he took off. I thought I could do so, but he had the legs."

Despite his strong ride on the climb, Ciccone made it very clear that he is not trying to be Lidl-Trek's main guy for the overall standings. When asked if his performance meant he was now riding for the general classification, he quickly shot the idea down.

"No, no, no," Ciccone said. "Like I say, I want to win a stage. I think with today it’s pretty clear, and now let’s see. Let’s see a new strategy for the next days."

Ciccone might not have to wait long for his next shot at a win. The very next stage features a fast, steep finish in Fermo that looks like a perfect fit for his riding style. He will also have plenty of extra motivation, as the stage starts right in Chieti, his hometown.