LE COLLET D'ALLEVARD — Canadian Derek Gee finished fourth at the mountaintop finish of Stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné on Friday and heads into the final two stages in fourth place overall.
The 26-year-old from Ottawa is 61 seconds behind Slovenian leader Primoz Roglic, considered one of the favourites for the Tour de France.
The eight-day Critérium du Dauphiné is considered a key Tour de France warm-up race.
Roglic won Stage 6 with Gee 13 seconds behind.
Gee is just three seconds off the general classification podium, trailing American Matteo Jorgenson.
“I think now, after this first test, I can just try to see how the next two days go and hopefully get a good result in the general classification,” Gee said.
Gee surprised himself Friday.
“I couldn’t match all the attacks, but I still had a little bit of a kick at the end, and I’m very happy about that," he said. "Honestly, I’m really surprised at how today went. It was an unbelievable day out once again.”
The Canadian won Stage 3 on Tuesday, earning the right to wear the yellow leader's jersey in the general classification. He dropped to fourth overall after finishing sixth in the time trial.
Stage 5 Thursday was called prematurely after a mass crash.
Gee turned heads last year in his first Grand Tour race, finishing second four times and fourth twice in the Giro d'Italia. He placed 22nd in the final general classification standings and was runner-up to Italy’s Jonathan Milan in the points race and France’s Thibaut Pinot in the King of the Mountains standings.
The Canadian was also honoured as the Giro’s “super combative rider.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2024
The Canadian Press
