Following his revelatory attacking shows on the latest Giro d’Italia, Canadian neo-pro Derek Gee has signed a contract extension with Israel-Premier Tech via the tip of the 2028 season.
The 25-year-old made his Grand Tour debut in Italy final month and was one of many stars of the Giro, making the breakaway seven occasions and taking 4 second locations and two fourth locations alongside the best way.
He completed second within the mountain, factors, intermediate dash, and breakaway classification, additionally profitable the prize for the race’s most combative rider in Rome. His Israel-Premier Tech group have acted shortly handy him one of many longest contracts in biking, with solely UAE Crew Emirates expertise Juan Ayuso at present on a deal to the tip of the 2028 season.
“It was an extremely simple choice for me to signal this new contract; I do know one other 5 years is a very long time, particularly within the biking world, however this group looks like residence,” Gee stated.
“The connection I’ve with the riders, workers and administration, and the path I can see the group going from a efficiency standpoint, is one thing I am extremely eager to be part of for the long run. It additionally offers me the soundness to take a step again and take a look at new instructions as a rider that won’t have even been one thing I used to be contemplating earlier than the Giro.
“The Giro was about as removed from what I anticipated because it will get moving into, but it surely’s been sinking within the final week, the rides that I had there. I am actually comfortable to have the ability to present why the group had confidence in me with that calendar and put that on paper with these outcomes.”
Gee is a part of a robust Canadian contingent on the group, which is owned by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams and co-sponsored by Canadian firm Premier Tech.
He joins Hugo Houle, Michael Woods and Guillaume Boivin within the racing squad, whereas the group additionally counts Canadians among the many backroom workers in efficiency director Paulo Saldanha, directeur sportif Steve Bauer, and several other coaches, soigneurs, and mechanics.
“I’ve recognized Derek since he was a boy, profitable native races in Canada, as he accompanied his father (in opposition to whom I competed in Masters races) to weekend bike races,” Adams stated.
“Israel-Premier Tech is Derek’s pure residence, as it’s for the opposite aspiring Canadians, and Israelis, that we’ve in our growth pipeline. With Derek, we’re JUST. GETTING. STARTED. We anticipate huge issues from this proficient rider within the close to future.
“We knew Derek had a giant engine after we took an opportunity on him and signed him to our U23 Continental program a few years in the past. However, at this yr’s Giro, Derek proved that he has race smarts, and the power to carry out with one of the best riders within the professional peloton.
“It was an actual coming-out occasion for Derek, together with the younger teammates who accompanied him on our Giro squad. Accordingly, we determined to reward Derek by ripping up his neo-pro contract and signing him to a brand new six-year deal, that can guarantee his future.”
Gee moved up from the group’s growth squad Israel Biking Academy at first of the season and he isn’t the one younger rider to impress thus far in 2023. Italian Marco Frigo made the identical transfer and was one other breakaway staple on the Giro, ending third on stage 15 to Bergamo.
Giro debutant, 23-year-old Sebastian Berwick, additionally scored a podium on the race, whereas 21-year-old neo-pro Matthew Riccitello additionally took on the race for the primary time this yr. Elsewhere, second-year professional Corbin Sturdy has racked up seven top-10 placings via the spring.
Gee, dubbed a “future chief of this group” by normal supervisor Kjell Carlström, stated that he does not know precisely the place his profession will take him, however acknowledged that he is eager to get his first professional win after so many close to misses on the Giro.
“I actually cannot say precisely which path I wish to go as a rider and what I wish to obtain in that path, however for now the largest factor on my thoughts after the Giro is simply getting a win. So many second locations made me extraordinarily hungry to get that first win and, hopefully, someday get a stage win in a Grand Tour.
“I might prefer to proceed to develop with out essentially choosing one thing to concentrate on, and simply see which path racing takes me in as a rider. I feel that is the thrilling half about this contract, there’s time to try this, and I am unable to await the following 5 years with Israel-Premier Tech!”
