Derek Gee latest Canadian to join Israel-Premier Tech

This article originally appeared on Velo News

Derek Gee is the latest Canadian to join Israel-Premier Tech with a three-year deal through 2025.

The Ottawan joined Israel Cycling Academy this year and raced with the WorldTeam at Gran Camino, where he was fifth in the ITT, and at Milano-Torino.

The 13-time Canadian national track champion is still finding his place on the road, and has his sights set on racing against the clock.

"My experiences with Israel Cycling Academy and Israel-Premier Tech so far have been amazing. I know that getting to race with the WorldTour team multiple times already and the things I've learned doing that will be hugely beneficial when I take the step up next year,” Gee said. “The ITT at Gran Camino gave me a lot of confidence moving forward.

“I still have a lot to work on in the time trial but knowing that getting up there and fighting for wins in high-level races is something that's attainable motivates me hugely," Gee said. “I'm still trying to find where my strengths are on the road, and I've been given a huge variety of races this year from the team to help me figure that out. Hopefully, I can keep improving my time trial and over the next three years get some big results on the TT bike."

Also read: Michael Woods on Israel-Premier Tech: 'This is Canada's team'

Gee is the latest Canadian to join the team, which already includes five Canadian riders on the 2022 roster.

"Obviously, Canada is an important country for our team and we are proud to be developing the next generation of Canadian cyclists, and look forward to seeing Derek race with us for the next three years,” said team manager Kjell Carlstrom

Gee is the second ICA rider to make the step up to IPT next year, alongside Italian Marco Frigo.

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