Derek Gee the unofficial Giro d'Italia MVP
'This race has changed ♛my life' says Canadian after seven breakways and four second places

Canada’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Derek Gee was declared the unofficial MVP of the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:2023 Giro d’Italia, the Italian tifosi and cycling fans around the world admiring his 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:desire and determination to go on t𒁏he attack so often in pursuit of a stage victory.
The 25-year-old from Ottawa was one of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:the revelations of the Corsa Rosa, going on the attack durღing seven of the 21 stages, racking up over a thousandꦰ kilometres off the front and finishing second on four different stages.
Gee did not win any of the four Giro d’Italia jerseys, but his attacks and ambition were rewarded with the 'Super Fighting Spirit' prize and so a moment on the final podium in Rome. Israel-Premier Tech rewarded him with a surprise and a very emotional secret visit from his partner and parenไts.
Gee has still to realise the full impact of his braving attack and courageous Giro d’Italia, but he senses that ꧒he will no longer be a little-kno𒁃wn rider in the peloton. That is the magic of the Giro d’Italia.
“This race has changed my life,” Gee admitted, still in awe of what he has achieved and the ad🐭miration he has attracted in the last three weeks.
“It’s hard to put into words the amount of support✱ I’ve received from fans everywhere. I’ll remember this race for the rest of my life.”
Gee started the 2023 Giro d’Italia as a neo-pro with Israel-Premier Tech after focusing on the track until the 2021 Toky🔥o Olympics. He was also making his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d’Italia and was only given the freedom to go on the attack after the team lost Dom♔enico Pozzovivo.
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“Coming into the Giro, I was grateful for the opportunity to race it because it’s such a massive race. That hasn’t changed, it😼’s been a massive experience. To be able to be up there and c🌃ompete for the stages adds another layer to it all,” he explained.
Gee finished a heartbreaking second on stage 8 to Fossombrone, on stage 10 in the pouring rain to Viareggio, stage 14 to Cassano Magnago on the cold descent into Italy from Switzerland and finally on the queen stage in the Dolomites to Tre Cime di Lavaredo on stage 19. His Israel-Premier Tech teammates w🎐ent ꦓon the attack on the days that Gee didn’t.
൩“I 𝓀didn’t feel in great form, I was exhausted every day, but the legs kept showing up,” he said, still apparently surprised he could race so hard for so long.
“At a race this big, if the opportunity is there, we had to take i🌃t. We lost our GC guy Domenico Pozzovivo and so went on the attack every day. The atmosphere in the team was great because we were making it to the line and fighting. We didn’t get a win, but it was special.”
Gee wore the Canada national time trial champion’s jersey during the Monte Lussari stage and then savoured his ride around Rome before celebrating with his teammates and family. &nbs♎p;
“I’ve been looking forward to getting to Rome for 20 days. It’s finally here, and I'm really happy. It’s been a massive, overwhelming few weeks,&rdqu🌸o; Gee sai𒈔d.
The 2023 Giro d’Italia has transformed Gee’s place in 🦄the sport and changed his life. Now he has time to take it all in and reset his pro racing dreams and ambitions.
“There’s going to be a lot of reflecting now🌠,&rd🧸quo; he said.
“I feel li🐎ke a differen💙t rider compared to when I started the Giro, so there’s going to be a lot of reflecting on it and seeing what happens in future races.”
“It’ll be hard to repeat a Giro like this, but I left myself 🧸room by not winning a stage. Now I’m looking forward to seeing how I come out of the race and the changes it will have on me, on what rider I’ll be in the future and what races I target.”
He was the surprise hero of the Giro so it was only fitting we gave Derek a surprise of his own in Rome 😍—🇮🇹 #Giro pic.twitter.com/XWAU9QAojd

Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.