Canadian cyclist Derek Gee competed in the Men's Individual Time Trial event in Paris on Saturday, July 27, 2024. The 27-year-old Ottawa native made headlines with his impressive performance, finishing third in the Criterium du Dauphine in June and placing ninth overall at the Tour de France in July. His achievements took many by surprise, including Gee himself. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Ottawa cyclist Derek Gee, 27, finds himself facing a new dilemma: setting fresh goals after a stellar season that exceeded his own expectations. Gee stunned the cycling world by finishing third at the Criterium du Dauphine in June and securing an impressive ninth place at the Tour de France in July. His accomplishments left him, and others, wondering what comes next.
Speaking during a video conference on Wednesday, Gee expressed how difficult it is to set concrete goals for the future. "It's hard to put an actual result on my goals for the future because I've already kind of surpassed what I had hoped to do," Gee said. He is now contemplating whether to target a different Grand Tour, push for a top-five finish, or focus on improving specific areas of his cycling performance. The goals he originally envisioned for himself have dramatically shifted after this season.
In the short term, Gee plans to focus on one-day races, as most of his success so far has come in multi-stage events. The Canadian cyclist, riding for Israel-Premier Tech, will compete against a strong field, including Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, at the Cycling Grand Prix in Quebec City and Montreal on September 13 and 15, which are part of the UCI World Tour.
Looking ahead to next year, Gee hopes to win a stage at a Grand Tour. At the 2023 Tour de France, his best finish was third in the ninth stage. He also gained attention during the Giro d’Italia, where he finished second overall in points and came close to victory with four second-place finishes, though he didn't manage to secure a win. Reflecting on these near-misses, Gee said, "I want to check that one off next year."
Gee’s success has placed him in an elite group of Canadian cyclists. He became only the third Canadian to finish in the top 10 at the Tour de France, following in the footsteps of Steve Bauer (fourth in 1988) and Ryder Hesjedal (fifth in 2010).
When asked how he explains his breakthrough performance, Gee credited it to "an accumulation of small things." After debuting on the UCI World Tour in 2023, he identified areas for improvement and dedicated time to altitude training camps and aerodynamic testing. His unexpected podium finish at the Dauphine, an eight-day stage race seen as a precursor to the Tour de France, bolstered his confidence to compete against the world's top cyclists. "The biggest thing coming out of the Dauphine was just the confidence of knowing that I can be up there and competing with the best on my day," Gee explained.
However, Gee’s season wasn’t flawless. At the Paris Olympics, he finished 20th in the time trials and 44th in the road race. After the Tour de France ended in Nice, Gee drove back to Girona, Spain, for just one day before heading to Paris for the Olympics. The back-to-back competitions took a toll on his body, and Gee admitted to feeling the fatigue. "I definitely felt the tour in my legs at the Olympics," he said.
Despite the challenges, Gee has managed to recover and is now back in training for the upcoming races in Quebec City and Montreal. Although his reputation in the cycling world is growing, Gee doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the pressure to perform. He acknowledges that expectations will increase next year, and he is prepared to adapt and embrace the additional pressure. "It's a privilege, because you have that pressure for a reason," he said.
What excites Gee the most is the sense that he still has untapped potential. Both he and his team have identified areas for improvement, and they are already working on refining the details to push his performance even further.
