Meet the Giro’s ultimate Canadian superfan, Sean Moretti
Vancouver-based cyclist was talk of Twitter during Derek Gee’s breakaway
On Tuesday, Derek Gee had another incredible day in the saddle, and he got some help from the Canadian superfan, Sean Moretti. Gee went on to snag another second place after a long day in the saddle on Stage 10. On one of the climbs, however, all eyes were on a spectator waving a large Canadian flag, offering words of encouragement to the IPT rider.
“Let’s go Derek, come on! You’re built for this,” he says, as he runs beside the 25-year-old. “Let’s go buddy! Come on! You’re an animal! You’re a fucking monster!”
After posting the story, many readers reached out to Canadian Cycling Magazine to solve the mystery of who it was. Moretti and his wife arrived on May 10 and will be staying until June 5.
“As soon as we arrived we went right away to Gran Sasso. It was the earliest we could get to Italy with taking vacation time from school and work,” he says. “We are watching every stage from now until Stage 20. Unfortunately, the trip from Mt. Lussari to Rome will be too tight for us to make it in time for Stage 21.”
I need this guy to cheer me up in every aspect of my life.pic.twitter.com/V92dfITtur
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 17, 2023
Moretti, as you can guess by the name, is part Italian. His mother’s heritage is from Italy. They immigrated from Majano (Friuli) to Canada in the 1950s.
“We came to the Giro last year and did the same thing… rent a camper van and follow the stages. It’s amazingly fun,” he says. “My wife and I do plan to move to Italy in the near future, though. The people, culture, food, landscape, architecture… it’s the best place on earth in our opinion.”
Moretti is a cyclist himself, which explains his love of the sport. “I’ve been riding for most of my life but for riding road bikes and training, the past seven years roughly. I started racing about four years ago, and it’s gradually become a bigger part of life for both me and my wife,” he adds. “For big races, I’ll go watch local stuff like Gastown but like I said for Grand Tours, this is our second time following it. I foresee it becoming a tradition as we are both hooked!
Watching a bike race involves some strategy. You need to find the best spot and also fight out all the other tifosi. Moretti has learned a lot about how to plan for it.
“I’ve learned a lot from the locals. For stages with mountains or punchy hills, it’s best to set up on the mountain the night before, settle in, and get excited for the next day,” he explains. “For flat stages, we go to the start or finish towns/cities depending on how far we have to commute to get there, based on the route (the stage before, the next stage)… that sort of thing.”
After his great display of support for Gee, many videos circulated on the Internet. He had no idea until his friends started telling him. “Honestly, I don’t have social media and never have… except for Strava and LinkedIn,” he says. “So I assure you, I’m not doing this for personal attention haha. I was a bit shocked when friends started messaging me about the attention. But if those views inspire fans to be passionate about an amazing sport, then fantastic. That makes me happy.”
As a fan of cycling and Canadian pros, he thinks it’s great to see a fellow countryman in the thick of it.
“More than anything, what would make me the most happy is that Derek gets the attention he deserves because he has put on an amazing performance thus far. My friends and I have been following Derek on Strava for years now, and it’s been fantastic to see him develop into such a strong road cyclist,” Moretti says. “He was already super impressive and talented on the track. Believe it or not, I knew going into this Giro that he would show well. Anyone who looks at his Strava would see the talent he is. He is a monster!”
The best aspect of seeing a talented rider like Gee, for Moretti, is that he hopes it will grow even more homegrown talent.
“Lastly, and I think most importantly, if the views inspire younger cyclists to get into racing, to pursue the sport, and to be inspired by Derek and other Canadian cyclists… that would be absolutely amazing,” he concludes. “It’s not about the fans cheering but about growing the sport and supporting the athletes who have dedicated so much time and effort into their pursuits.”
