Canadian Worlds Riders Derek Gee and Ruby West Get PEZ’d!

Double Rider Interview: Canadians from Ottawa have made their presence felt on the WorldTour this yr, with Mike Woods’ spectacular scaling of the Puy de Dome to win a stage on the Tour de France and the exceptional breakthrough trip of his teammate, Derek Gee, earlier on the Giro d’Italia. In his first Grand Tour Derek got here second on 4 levels, second within the mountains classification, second within the sprints classification and, unsurprisingly given his fixed breakaway presence, awarded the prize for Most Combative Rider.

Derek Gee on Giro’23 stage 19

PezCyclingNews not too long ago had the chance to talk with Derek and his companion, Ruby West, as each ready for the UCI World Biking Championships in Glasgow. Ruby had a robust nationwide report as a junior cyclocross racer and is now concentrating on the observe.

Ruby West – World Cup cyclo-cross Hoogerheide 2019

PEZ: A double interview is uncommon so our first query is what’s it prefer to stay with one other aggressive bike owner? Do you practice collectively? What kind of issues do you do from a biking standpoint, given the heavy coaching necessities for the World Tour?
Ruby West: That is new for each of us too! Now we have fairly completely different schedules lately. I’m pursuing extra of the observe, Derek, clearly, on the street. So our coaching clearly seems a little bit completely different, however we’re in a position to trip collectively typically, I’d say perhaps as soon as per week on common, once we’re bodily in the identical place. This is dependent upon the time of the yr. Generally I’m within the base season doing longer rides and I may tag together with Derek extra. However lately his coaching is simply so intense, and with the shape he has coming off from the Giro it’s just a bit an excessive amount of for me to have the ability to sustain with.

Pez: This brings up the query of precisely what sort of bike owner are you, Derek? On the Giro you’re listed because the second for the King of the Mountain factors, but in addition second for the Dash classification, and I do know you’re a time Trialist, being the Canadian Nationwide Time Trial Champion for the second time. Through the Giro, if you had been interviewed at one level, you talked about races that you just had been very eager on, and also you talked about Paris-Roubaix particularly. Recognizing that it’s your first yr within the World Tour, the place do you see this going? Is the crew working with you in a specific route or ready to see how you’ll develop as a rider?
Derek Gee: It’s powerful to say as a result of I believe going into the Giro I used to be looking for out what sort of rider I, I might be, what levels I might do properly on, and I sort of got here out of it a little bit extra confused as a result of the levels I did properly on didn’t actually comply with any sort of sample. So I imply, I did properly on some mountains, however on the similar time, I’m a reasonably large man. I completed second within the dash competitors, however on the similar time, Ruby will let you know that, my dash perhaps isn’t all that nice. She beats me in each signal dash we do collectively,

If I’m a sprinter, then signal her to the World Tour! I really thought my leads to the yr would come within the time trials. That’s the place I hoped to get outcomes, however sadly, these had been really a few of my worst levels. So undoubtedly don’t know actually what route I’m going to go. I believe that’s sort of a call I’ll depart to the crew and hopefully I can nonetheless do a reasonably large selection. I don’t know that I’ll essentially specialize fully.

Gee – Possibly not a time trialist?

PEZ: Ruby, you may have had a superb report in cyclocross however appear now to be very a lot centered on the observe. Is there nonetheless cyclocross forward?
Ruby: Yeah, lately it’s principally a observe focus. I used to be having a little bit of a, a difficult time balancing all of it, particularly with the, the way in which the seasons line up. It was simply sort of a 12 month, a yr season for me. So I needed to, to determine to focus a little bit bit extra on the observe only for the rest of this Olympic cycle. So my objective is to make the Olympic crew for the Paris Olympics subsequent summer time. After which hopefully I can sort of get again to doing a little extra cyclocross as a result of it’s my first and real love for certain. The Olympic video games are one thing I’ve all the time needed to work in the direction of so I’ve simply put cross on the backseat for a little bit bit.

PEZ: What’s your observe self-discipline particularly?
Ruby: Workforce pursuit. I’m on the endurance facet of issues, after which the crew pursuit, which is what Derek really raced on the final Olympics. So I’m attempting to comply with in his footsteps a little bit bit!

Cross is on the backseat

PEZ: I noticed that you just additionally participated within the, the Nationwide Highway Championships. Are you once more in, in doing street work as properly?
Ruby: Not within the slightest! I simply don’t have that keenness for it that clearly Derek and different street cyclists do. I get pleasure from doing a little street stuff and I needed to exit and cheer on Derek.

Giro’23 stage 15 to Bergamo

PEZ: The assorted disciplines in observe biking are to a big extent particular person sports activities, with out the seven or eight different riders you’d work with in a World Tour occasion. Coming from a observe background, Derek, how did you discover becoming into first the IPT growth crew after which the World Tour crew? How was it getting pushed into the pink highlight that’s the Giro?
Derek: There’s a steep studying curve. It was solely final yr that I bought the possibility to race with the World Tour crew on the decrease stage of competitors, which was a very nice transition as I went from the event stage races to World Tour stage races. The most important change for me within the Giro was really not working for teammates as a result of that’s what I used to be doing each race and that’s what I used to be used to. I really like being a domestique for a few of the larger names on our crew. It’s undoubtedly lots to take note of: easy methods to assist your chief get in the fitting spot;, easy methods to place him properly ; easy methods to know what he wants from you at any sure level. AIt was really fairly straightforward within the Giro once I was simply within the break on my own. I solely had to consider what I need proper now or what I would like as a motorbike racer. However it’s been fairly a fairly a steep studying curve to learn to be a very good domestique, to know what your chief needs, after which easy methods to execute that.

Derek with fellow Canadian, Nickolas Zukowsky (Q36.5) at the beginning of the Brussels Biking Traditional 2023

PEZ: I’m conscious that you just did a complete lot of races this yr, because the stats present 51 days of racing and seven,800 kms at this level within the yr. This requires a whole lot of dedication and restoration time as properly. Whereas some have made jokes in regards to the common age of riders within the Israel Premier Tech crew we noticed some very efficient IPT younger riders on the Giro, together with your self and Marco Frigo. So there appears to be a change that’s shifting by means of the crew however is there a robust mentoring ingredient within the crew that will help you?
Derek: It’s huge simply having these actually huge identify professionals which have been round for a very long time and know the ins and outs and every thing in regards to the professional peloton. Sure, it’s true that there’s a whole lot of them however if you’re one of many newer guys on the crew it’s a useful useful resource to have. I imply, when you can have a man like Simon Clark on the Giro who may give recommendation on how I ought to method this stage or that stage. What are some tricks to getting by means of the Grand Tour? And he’s a fountain of information. It’s the sort of factor that’s the excellent setup for us and I believe it’s whythe younger guys on our crew did so properly with three of us getting podiums within the race. It actually confirmed that the recommendation you get from these guys who’ve been round so lengthy means that you can not should try to determine it out your self.

On the Giro begin podium

PEZ: It has has been some time because the Giro completed so what’s developing subsequent within the racing schedule?So for your self, the Jro is a short time in the past now, and, uh, what’s developing?
Derek: I had a very nice break really. I did nationals after which I, I’ve not raced since. I’ve bought the World Championships developing and it’s the Tremendous World. So each self-discipline besides cyclocross is there. I’ll do the observe occasions, the crew pursuit particularly, then I can be on for the street race and the time trial.

PEZ: I needed to show to you, Ruby, for a second, and speak about Olympic plans and the way the coaching is coming on the glorious velodrome in Milton? Whereas at Pez we’ve got a concentrate on street biking observe racing has a protracted pedigree in biking historical past, and an entertaining one as properly.
Ruby: We’ve simply completed our first week of our remaining preparation camp for the World Championships. Yesterday, for instance, we had been on the observe for round 10 hours. We had been there all day doing completely different periods . So this was the final fairly intense block. On the observe a lot of the coaching is definitely executed on the street or nevertheless you’re in a position to do it personally, very particular person. After which we come collectively to race as a crew. So everybody has completely different coaches and completely different coaching plans and coaching kinds. We come collectively for these shorter preparation camps forward of massive occasions or huge competitions. In order that’s the final part we’re in now forward of the world championships.

It’ll be a two and a half or three week camp. After which we journey over to Glasgow.the place all of us come collectively as a crew, trip within the crew, pursuit formation, try to do some arduous coaching, however then additionally determining simply the lineups, the technique, all of that stuff. So for me personally, I do a whole lot of coaching, like intervals on the street. I do some fitness center coaching. I prefer to trip all of my different bikes, so I spent a whole lot of time on the mountain bike or on my gravel bike as a result of I get bored fairly rapidly on the street.

PEZ: It’s well-recognized now that vitamin is a key ingredient for bike owner coaching. World Tour groups are very centered on this however away from that sort of construction how do you handle?
Ruby: We’re each very lucky that we’ve got a whole lot of exterior helps, both for me from the nationwide crew or for Derek from his skilled crew. For me personally, a minimum of, I work with a dietician with the nationwide crew and he helps me plan all the, the issues that I have to plan. For instance dietary supplements or simply ensuring I’m consuming sufficient or the quantity of what I’m consuming is appropriate for large coaching days, fitness center days, no matter particular efforts I’m doing. After which once we are touring with the crew, um, we’ll all the time have a nutritionist with us that’s in a position to sort of complement both what we’re getting on the lodge we’re staying at or simply staying on high of all of that. It’s very completely different for Derek!

Heusden – Zolder, Belgium – Ladies’s UCI cyclo-cross World Cup 2018

PEZ: I’m certain the self-discipline is so completely different than when you’re in your bike for 3 weeks straight, Derek, you should be consuming monumental portions to make it by means of a race as huge because the Giro.
Derek: It’s lots. I believe. I additionally work intently with a crew dietician, and, they usually’ll arrange the quantities. So by the top of the Giro I used to be consuming nearly as a lot as I may daily and, and nonetheless shedding weight as a result of the times had been so huge. Particularly within the breakaway the calorie expenditure is so excessive that you just principally don’t cease consuming from the time you get up to the time you go to mattress.

PEZ: I’m certain that you just’ve regarded on the street course and the profiles and every thing for the Worlds. Is it very hilly or is it a reasonably flat course?
Derek: I believe as a result of it’s Glasgow there’s no lengthy climbs, but it surely’s fairly it’s fairly punchy, simply all the time little kickers. It’ll make for an fascinating one for certain.

My season is certainly weighted extra in the direction of the entrance finish. However after the Worlds I’ll return to race in Belgium for a little bit bit, after which come again to North America and do, the Maryland Biking Traditional and the GPs in Quebec and Montreal. I’m actually excited to, to race the World Tour races at residence. After which i’ll head again and do some extra racing in Luxembourg and Belgium and France till the season’sdone round mid-October.

Brussels Traditional 2023

PEZ: We all know that there are a whole lot of cyclists who’re located in locations like Girona or Monaco or Tuscany. The place are you based mostly usually?
Derek: I’m based mostly in Girona, which is very nice. There’s an enormous Canadian affect there. It, nearly looks like residence. You stroll round and see a Canadian nearly daily.

PEZ: And the way a lot time do you spend there, Ruby?
Ruby: Fortunately I get to spend a very good period of time over there. I believe this yr I spent perhaps two and a bit months over there. So it’s, it’s a very good place to coach. So anytime I don’t should be in Canada on the observe in Milton or have my very own private commitments, I can recover from there to both spend a while with Derek. The final time I used to be there, he was out and in with racing, however nonetheless a fantastic place for me to have the ability to practice.

PEZ: We touched in your enthusiasm for Paris-Robaix, Derek. How was you expertise?
Derek: I raced it this yr and it was depressing the entire time, and I can’t wait to race it once more!

I imply, these are all races that I believe I’ve watched since I used to be a child and dreamed of doing. So to line up at them, it’s been a pinching myself second everyevery race this yr. I imply, from a company perspective, these races are a lot larger than something I’ve ever executed that it’s simply been unbelievable to see sort of the scope and, simply the attain that these these races have. I imply on the Giro, each city we went by means of was lined with followers and naturally there’s the gang management that comes with that. There’s all these elements to the group so after so a few years of the races operating, all of them go extremely easily.

PEZ: It has been an thrilling yr for each of you and we want you all one of the best on the Worlds and all the opposite upcoming races. We’ll be looking forward to you in Paris subsequent yr!

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