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Derek Gee paid an awesome video tribute to the Canadian superfan at the Giro

Sean Moretti became a viral sensation with his incredible support

Derek Gee holding a Canadian flag
May 30, 2023
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The Giro is over, but Derek Gee has said the race has changed his life. The Canadian on Israel-Premier Tech became the talk of the città with his gusto and never-say-die attitude. His attacks and breaks resulted in four seconds, two fourths and a place in so many cycling fan’s hearts. He wound up second in the KOM, the sprints competition and the intermediate sprints. Gee did win the fighting spirit award, the Giro’s equivalent of the supercombativity prize at the Tour de France. And no wonder. The 25-year-old was relentless in his riding.

If you watched the race, no doubt you saw Sean Moretti, the Vancouver-based cyclist who spent the month in Italy, following the race. During Stage 10 when Gee was away, Moretti was seen running beside Gee, shouting words of encouragement. “Let’s go Derek, come on! You’re built for this,” he said. “Let’s go buddy! Come on! You’re an animal! You’re a fucking monster!”

Meet the Giro’s ultimate Canadian superfan, Sean Moretti

After that, the video of Moretti spread across social media. He was always seen on the most decisive climbs. Turns out he would speak to locals to find the best spot to watch, and it seems to have worked out well. In a video from his team, Israel – Premier Tech, Gee spoke fondly about Moretti’s support. He said that he noticed that his fellow Canadian always managed to find the toughest and most important climbs to hunker down and wait for the riders. And although the Ottawa cyclist certainly did love the support, he couldn’t always respond, because he was, “oxygen-deprived” on those difficult ascents.

Former teammate Geraint Thomas did the leadout for Mark Cavendish because he’s a total G

Moretti and Gee would finally meet on May 24 before the stage. Gee is a birder, so Moretti brought him an Italian bird guide. In return, the IPT rider gave him one of his red, most aggressive rider numbers.

On Monday, IPT posted a touching video from Gee where he spoke of how important it was to have a fan and supporter like Moretti. You can give it a watch below.