“The hip is pretty bad... I just hit really hard” - Derek Gee down but not out at the Giro d’Italia as Canadian continues despite crash injuries
Cycling
Derek Gee will continue at the Giro d’Italia despite being left bruised and battered by the mass crash that tore through Stage 2, with the Canadian admitting he was fortunate compared to some of the riders caught in the same incident.
The Lidl-Trek GC hopeful was among those to hit the deck on wet roads before the final climb to Veliko Tarnovo, where the crash forced a temporary neutralisation and left several teams counting the cost.
Gee eventually reached the finish 1:06 down on stage winner and new Maglia Rosa Guillermo Thomas Silva, losing more than a minute to several of his overall rivals.
Speaking to Cycling Pro Net before Stage 3, Gee gave a clear update on his condition after a brutal afternoon in Bulgaria. “Beaten up, but not so bad,” he said. “Not so bad considering how some of the guys ended up. Pretty lucky.”
“I just hit really hard”
Gee was visibly carrying the effects of the crash before the start of Stage 3, though he said the damage was mainly bruising rather than heavy road rash. “It’s a little bit everywhere,” he explained. “The hip is pretty bad, a little bit on the back, but in the end I just hit really hard actually. I didn’t come away with too much road rash or anything, just bruising.”
The crash came at a pivotal moment of Stage 2, shortly after the breakaway had been caught and before the peloton reached the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass. Several riders went down on the slippery roads, with UAE Team Emirates - XRG particularly badly hit and Santiago Buitrago also forced to abandon.
Gee described the incident from inside the bunch. “I saw guys in front of me hitting the deck and then I hit the deck,” he said. “Then I saw a lot of guys on the ground. It’s never nice to see. Obviously I haven’t heard how everyone’s doing, but it was a pretty nasty one.”
GC hopes dented but not finished
For Gee, the sporting damage was not as severe as the physical impact could have been. He lost more than a minute, but the Canadian suggested that should not completely reshape his Giro.
“I don’t think a whole lot,” he said when asked what the crash changed for his race. “A minute at the start is something I’m used to now, losing a minute right out the gate. Obviously not the nicest way to do it, but my legs felt okay. I think at the end of the race, hopefully a minute doesn’t decide a spot one way or the other.”
Stage 3 from Plovdiv to Sofia should offer Gee a chance to get through the day before the first rest day, rather than immediately forcing him back into a decisive GC battle.
“For sure,” he said when asked whether the timing gives him a chance to recover. “It’s not terrible timing, with hopefully not a decisive stage today. It should be a sprint, and then a rest day at least gives a little bit of time to come around.”
Gee’s Giro has already taken an early hit, but it is not over. After the chaos of Stage 2, simply reaching the start line in condition to keep fighting is a result in itself.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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