Canada's Derek Gee cycles past Invalides as he competes in the men's road cycling individual time trial during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, on July 27, 2024.EMMANUEL DUNAND/Getty Images
After racing through the slippery rain-drenched streets of Paris in Saturday’s Olympic men’s time trial, Canadian road cyclist Derek Gee said, “it was like a rink out there.”
The 26-year-old Ottawa native stayed on his bike while many riders in the field crashed out in the slick conditions. Yet he was disappointed to finish 20th, considering his star has been on the rise recently, thanks to his breakout performances at the 2023 Giro d’Italia and this year’s Tour de France.
“Not the legs I was hoping for today,” Gee told The Globe afterward, rainwater still pounding on him after he crossed the finish line. “It’s been a big summer of racing so hopefully the legs will be better for the road race next week.”
Gee has had a lot on his plate lately. He was fresh off a successful first foray at the Tour de France, where he placed ninth in the general classification standing. He was just the third Canadian to finish in the top 10 at the Tour, and the first since 2010. He was feeling the lingering effects of that three-week race on Saturday.
The riders navigated sharp, wet corners of a course lined with fans huddled under umbrellas. Gee said he had “a good diesel engine but no acceleration with the corners today.” He took those corners slower than he wanted because of the glassy conditions.
The time trial included 34 men. It snaked through some vibrant and famous parts of France’s capital city, including les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower, concluding over Pont Alexandre III, the picturesque bridge that spans the Seine. Gee had enjoyed the scenery while scouting the course in advance.
“I enjoyed the cultural and historical significance in the Recon,” Gee sajd. “But today it was all a blur.”
The 32.4-kilometre race had a lot of crashes, punctured tires, squealing breaks, riders switching out bikes midrace and relentless pouring rain.
“You saw in the women’s race, there were a ton of crashes. I don’t know how many guys crashed in the men’s race so far. And I passed one guy was on the ground,” Gee said. “So yeah, a big part of it was just staying upright.”
This was Gee’s second Olympics, but he’s in a different discipline this time. During his first go-round, in Tokyo, he competed in track cycling, placing fifth in the team pursuit. Since then he’s become a top-shelf road cyclist.
“It’s been a great summer of racing racing,” Gee said. “I just went out there gave it my all and that wasn’t quite what I was hoping for but I’m still happy with how the year’s going.”
Gee will race a second time in Paris. On on Aug. 3 – his 27th birthday – Gee will join fellow Canadian Mike Woods in the men’s 273-kilometre road race.
Remco Evenepoel of Belgium captured the gold medal, while Italy’s Filippo Ganna earned silver and Belgium’s Wout Van Aert took bronze.
On the women’s side, Canada’s Olivia Baril of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., finished 20th, while Australia’s Grace Brown took gold, Anna Henderson of Britain earned silver and American Chloe Dygert rode to bronze.
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