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Once more Derek Gee is runner-up from a 2023 Giro d’Italia breakaway

Magnus Cort prevails on a rain-lashed, cold Stage 10

Derek Gee at the Giro d'Italia Photo by: Sirotti
May 16, 2023
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Derek Gee is taking full advantage of his first career Grand Tour, getting in a breakaway and finishing runner-up for the second time in three stages on Tuesday. Gee and his breakmates—Magnus Cort and Alessandro de Marchi—splashed along a rain-soaked course in the lead all day, and then fought it out for the victory, with Cort prevailing and Gee runner-up once more. Cort has now won a stage of all three Grand Tours.

“This one hurt a little more, just ‘cos you can see the win right there,” Gee said shortly after the finish, referencing his second-place finish on Stage 8. Demarchi and I both knew [Magnus Cort] is too fast. But it was touch and go there for a bit, at 30 to 35 km, if we’d even stay out. I tried something in the last 2 [km].”

“I’m pretty surprised,” he said of the way his breakaway stayed out of reach of the peloton. “I thought for a lot of kilometres that it was done, especially at the start when the break was only four of us. I thought there was no shot. But the descent was so technical that I guess it really caused chaos back there. Again, I can’t believe we made it.”

The Giro Post Evenepoel

With pink jersey Remco Evenepoel having left the Giro with COVID-19 soon after his second time trial victory, the race was unmoored on Monday’s first rest day.

Geraint Thomas took over the pink jersey, meaning that his Ineos team had to defend for two weeks, far sooner than it reckoned. Evenepoel’s Soudal-Quick Step squad had to pivot to seeking more stage wins. Would we see Jumbo-Visma and UAE-Emirates more prominently at the front of the peloton?

Thomas in pink at the start line in Scandiano. Photo: Sirotti

Race organizers were not only forced to tighten COVID-19 protocols, but they also had to make a change to Friday’s thirteenth stage, taking out the Cima Coppi Col du Grand Saint-Bernard in the middle of the course due to snowfall and avalanche risk. Instead, a different climb, Salita del Gran San Bernardo, and the tunnel would be taken.

The Course

It was a sodden affair over the 196 km from Scandiano to Viareggio. There was an absurdly long (33.7 km), mildly graded (2.5 percent) Cat. 2 climb in the middle of the route and a Cat. 4 after its descent. It seemed like a day suited for a sprint. The wet roads caused many crashes.

More Riders Withdraw

Two of Gee’s teammates had to leave the race before the stage, the oldest rider in the race, Domenico Pozzovivo, pulling out with COVID-19.

Seventh-place Alexandr Vlasov of Bora-Hansgrohe climbed off his bike due to illness.

Gee got loose with Alessandro De Marchi, Cort and Stage 7 winner Davide Bais. Bais was first over the Cat. 2, Passo delle Radici. The descent for everyone was sketchy.

A soggy Derek Gee leads the fugitive quartet up the Passo delle Radici.

The drop of Passo delle Ridici saw new seventh-place Damiano Caruso bolt with two Bahrain-Victorious teammates and a chap from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, but they weren’t given a long leash.

Gee was first over the Cat. 2, his group now down to a trio. With 66 wet kilometers left, the break’s lead was only 2:10.

Gee, Cort and De Marchi headed into the final 4 km with a 43-second buffer. They drew up their individual plans of glory. Gee attacked with 1.5 km remaining but was brought back for the sprint. De Marchi led it out, and it was the Dane getting EF Education-Easypost’s second victory of the 106th Giro.

Gee’s exploits found him jumping up 14 spots in the GC to 36th.

Wednesday’s lumpy fare should also end in a sprint.

2023 Giro d’Italia Stage 10
1) Magnus Cort (Denmark/EF Education-Easypost)
2) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech)
3) Alessandro De Marchi (Italy/Jayco-AlUla)

2023 Giro d’Italia GC
1) Geraint Thomas (Great Britain/Ineos)
2) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) +0:02
3) Tao Geoghegan Hart (Great Britain/Ineos) +0:05
4) João Almeida (Portugal/UAE-Emirates) +0:22
36) Derek Gee (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +25:50