"There is still so much room for improvement" - Derek Gee aims even higher after 4th place at Giro
Cycling
Derek Gee was the calm power of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, finishing fourth behind the fidgety Del Toro and Carapaz. And, had not lost a minute both in the opening stage in Tirana and the gravel stage in Siena, the Canadian would've been standing on the podium in Rome by the side of Simon Yates.
What does the leader of Israel - Premier Tech take away from the past three weeks? "That it is important to keep fighting, not to give up. I didn’t start the Giro well, but we stuck to our plan. Trust the process. The end of this Giro went better than expected," he told Cycling Pro Net.
He returns to the turbulent first week that saw Gee's GC bid almost withdrawn before riders even hit the first high mountains. "After losing time in Albania and crashing on the stage to Naples, I actually lost faith. I thought I would be left empty-handed," said Gee. "So I am very happy with my fourth place."
Will we see Gee fight for GC all the time from now on? "Well, it also depends a bit on the race. I haven’t won a stage in a Grand Tour yet. That’s still high on my wish list. I definitely want to tick that off, but for now I’ll mainly focus on riding classifications."
"There is still so much room for improvement," he states frankly in an interview with FloBikes. "What has become clear in this Giro is that I currently have too little explosiveness. I cannot yet follow the attacks of other riders."
"But I see more areas for improvement," he continues. "I think of my preparation for a Grand Tour, for example. I want to be even sharper from the start in the upcoming races, so that you don't lose time in the first week. It's great that there is still so much room for improvement," Gee concludes.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
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