Derek Gee sixth fastest in Tirreno-Adriatico’s short opening chrono

Derek Gee started his Tirreno-Adriatico with a fine performance in Monday’s brief time trial to launch the 60th Race of the Two Seas. Gee was sixth fastest. Filippo Ganna took revenge on Juan Ayuso, who defeated the Italian in last year’s opening chrono, beating the Spaniard by 23 seconds.

Preview

Ayuso is looking to step up from the runner-up spot he took last year to Jonas Vingegaard. In his way is his own teammate Adam Yates, Adam’s brother Simon the 2022 champion, Pello Bilbao, David Gaudu and Derek Gee. Gee is hot coming off his first stage race title at O Gran Camiño.

The Course

It was the fourth year in a row a short chrono in Lido di Camaiore kicked off the race. It was a flat out-and-back with the intermediate time taken just before the 5-km mark. Gee started sixth from last, soon after Ayuso and just before Mathieu van der Poel. Ganna would burst out of the start house third from last.

With 25 riders yet to start, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Dane Johan Price-Pejtersen was the fastest with 12:45 and Bilbao and Simon Yates were both in the top-20, Adam just outside it.

Just as Gee began his 11.5-km grind, Ayuso was setting the best intermediate time.

Again, Gee and Ayuso’s journey were connected: Ayuso bumped the Dane off the hotseat with 12:40 as Gee took the provisional fifth fastest intermediate time. Ganna, in second place, bumped Gee down to sixth. The Canadian passed his minute man, William Blume Levy.

Ganna started to run down Ayuso’s marker and ended up winning by a wide margin

Tuesday’s stage is one for the sprinters.

2025 Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 1
1) Filippo Ganna (Italy/Ineos) 12:17
2) Juan Ayuso (Spain/UAE-Emirates) +0:23
3) Johan Price-Pejtersen (Denmark/Alpecin-Deceuninck +0:28
6) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +0:34