Ottawa cyclist Derek Gee to make Grand Tour debut in Giro d'Italia

Canadian Derek Gee has been named to Israel-Premier Tech's team for the Giro d'Italia, the first Grand Tour of the cycling season.

The 25-year-old from Ottawa, who came fifth in the team pursuit at the Tokyo Olympics, will support Italian Domenico Pozzovivo in his general classification campaign. Gee won the 2022 Canadian time trial national championship.

"Derek Gee is lining up for his first Grand Tour so it will be a new experience for him. But he has a big engine, he's a good rouleur [all-rounder] and a good time-trialist, and he can climb so he can have a great Giro d'Italia," Premier Tech sports director Oscar Guerrero said in a statement.

The 2023 Giro starts May 6 in Ortona and ends May 28 in Rome, covering a total of 3,489.2 kilometres over 21 stages.

Premier Tech is co-owned by Canadian-Israeli entrepreneur Sylvan Adams with former Canadian cycling star Steve Bauer one of the team's sports directors.

The Premier tech Giro team also includes Australians Sebastian Berwick and Simon Clarke, Italy's Marco Frigo, American Matthew Riccitello, Wales' Stevie Williams and Denmark's Mads Wurtz Schmidt.

"We have a diverse team featuring riders with a lot of experience on one end and then the team's youngest guys and Grand Tour debutantes on the other," Guerrero. "We are not going with a team experienced in supporting a GC [general classification] leader but we will share the responsibilities between the riders and hopefully Domenico can get a top 10 on GC which he did last year. Of course, fighting for a stage win in the mountains can be another goal for him."

Pozzovivo, 40, has taken part in 23 Grand Tours, including 16 Giros d'Italia, and has finished in the general classification top 10 on seven occasions.

Clarke will captain the team.