Derek Gee moved up to fifth place in the general classification after finishing 12th on stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia, while Marco Frigo rode his heart out on home roads, first in the breakaway, and later in support of Gee.
“It was a super hard day out there today,” Gee said after the finish. “I’m incredibly happy to be sitting fifth, but I also know what’s in store for the third week. There’s still lots of racing left to do.”
Growing up in the area of today’s stage, and knowing the route to perfection, Frigo was naturally extra eager to get up the road and fight for the stage win. After countless attacks and counterattacks, a large group of over 30 riders finally got away, including Frigo and teammate Hugo Houle.
The peloton seemed happy to let the break sail away, but halfway up the Monte Grappa ascent, INEOS upped the pace and suddenly the stage turned into a real GC fight. Always attentive near the front, Gee was quick to follow any dangerous moves from the top favorites.
“The racing kicked off unexpectedly on Monte Grappa, but I was happy with how my legs handled it,” the 27-year-old Canadian explained.
With the gap coming down rapidly, Frigo decided to go solo over the top of Monte Grappa.
“I was racing on my home roads, and I wanted to put on a show for the fans. Days like this don’t happen often in your career, so you have to enjoy it and give it your best to make the fans proud. That’s what was moving me today. I tried my best to give something back to the fans and spectators watching the race,” Frigo said.
“I was hoping it would slow down when the groups behind me came together. Ultimately, a small group of riders bridged across to me, and we ended up playing for the victory. Carlos Verona (Lidl-Trek) went away at the bottom of the final climb, and I thought it was best to stay with the group and work together. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and he sailed away, so chapeau to him.”
Realizing the stage victory was out of reach, Frigo decided to wait for the select group of favorites, including Gee, and immediately went to work to help his Canadian teammate move up in the general classification.
“Knowing I couldn’t win the stage, I was really happy to be able to help Derek reach fifth place in the GC. That’s a great position to be in going into the last week.”
Looking back at the 219 km long stage, Gee was full of praise for his Italian teammate: “The whole team was amazing today, but Marco sitting up to help pull the group into the finish on his home roads was pretty special. He was incredibly strong today.”
On Monday, the riders will enjoy a well-deserved rest day before taking on the final week of the Giro d’Italia.