"I’ve done recons of key stages and worked a lot on the time trial bike" - Derek Gee all-in on Giro d'Italia GC

Derek Gee's real breakthrough came at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, when the Canadian lit up the race over three weeks, despite consistently missing out on taking a first Grand Tour stage win. As Gee prepares to return to the Italian Grand Tour in 2025, the Israel - Premier Tech has different ambitions this time around - targeting the Maglia Rosa.

“I'm feeling good. The weather’s been beautiful so far, and I’m really just looking forward to getting the race started,” Gee tells Cycling Pro Net in a pre-Giro d'Italia interview. “It brings back a lot of really good memories from two years ago. That was when I had some of my first big results — some really exciting racing. It’s a privilege to be back here.”

As mentioned, whilst in 2023 Gee was something of an unproven commodity, free to hit out in the breakaways, this time around the Canadian has a different reputation and different race targets. “It’s definitely a very different role and very different ambitions compared to last time,” he explains. “Back then, it was about taking it day by day and trying to get a result in each stage. Now, the focus is more on the general classification. Of course, you still take it one day at a time, but I’m definitely aiming for a strong overall result at the end of the three weeks.”

“There’s so much that can happen in a bike race — it’s hard to pin down one number," he says when asked what GC position he's targeting. "I don’t want to say I’ll only be happy with a certain placing. I just want to execute as best I can each day, and I’ve got a great team around me to help make that happen. Hopefully, we end up with a small number at the end.”

Whatever happens, Gee has certainly been putting the work in ahead of his GC attempt. “It’s been a much more specific approach,” he concludes. “There’s been targeted training, real investment into this race. I’ve done recons of key stages, worked a lot on the time trial bike — it’s just been a lot more intentional. Last year, GC happened almost incidentally in a few races. This year, it's the focus from the start. It’s a totally different mindset and preparation.”