Canadian Derek Gee, continuing to impress in his first Grand Tour event, came within half a wheel of winning Stage 14 of the Giro d鈥橧talia on Saturday.

The 25-year-old from Ottawa, riding for the Israel-Premier Tech team, was part of a pack of eight riders in the final sprint. German Nico Denz led the way, celebrating before he reached the line with Gee almost nipping him at the wire.

While Denz eventually got to celebrate his second victory in the Giro, Bruno Armirail became the first Frenchman to wear the pink jersey in this century.

鈥淭his is the closest one yet. I did everything I could today,鈥� Gee said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure when I look back, I will be happy but for now, this one really really hurts.鈥�

The Canadian was also runner-up on Stage 8 and 10 and was fourth in Stage 13 Friday.

鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed that, after all the work the team did for me, I couldn鈥檛 take the win today,鈥� said Gee. 鈥淭he stage was 200 kilometres long but it could have been just a few metres longer, that would have been nice.鈥�

Gee is second behind Italian Jonathan Milan in the point classification. The lone Canadian in the field, Gee stands 21st in the overall general classification.

Canadians have made headlines at the Giro in the past.

Ryder Hesjedal won the race in 2012 and Svein Tuft wore the pink leader鈥檚 jersey in 2014 after his Orica-GreenEdge squad won the opening team time trial. Including this year, a Canadian has taken part in the last 17 editions of the Giro.

Israel-Premier Tech鈥檚 partners include Canadian-Israeli entrepreneur Sylvan Adams and fellow Canadians Jean Belanger and Kevin Ham.

Former Canadian cycling star Steve Bauer is one of the team鈥檚 sports directors. Other Canadians involved include performance director Paulo Saldanha, coach Christopher Rozdilsky, soigneur (support staffer) Jon Adams and head mechanic Andreas Back Watt.

Denz, who rides for Bora-Hansgrohe, also won Thursday鈥檚 12th stage for his first victory in a Grand Tour, in his sixth Giro.

鈥淚 was satisfied already after the first one and I told people to wake me up because this can鈥檛 be true, this must be a dream,鈥� Denz said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand really what鈥檚 going on right now to be honest.鈥�

Alberto Bettiol was third, while the general classification riders rolled across the line more than 21 minutes behind Denz at the end of another cold and rainy stage.

That moved Armirail into pink and gave previous leader Geraint Thomas a night off from podium celebrations and news conferences, and an early recovery ahead of a tough day in the mountains.

Armirail became the first French cyclist to wear the maglia rosa since Laurent Jalabert in 1999. The Groupama鈥揊DJ rider has an advantage of one minute 41 seconds over Thomas, and Primo啪 Rogli膷 was two seconds further back.

鈥淭he plan this morning was more about the stage win,鈥� Armirail said. 鈥淲e thought one day the maglia rosa (pink jersey) could be up for grabs. But we didn鈥檛 think it would be today.

鈥淚 had tried on the fourth stage and I was disappointed that I wasn鈥檛 on a good day. Only once Thomas crossed the line it became a reality in my mind but it鈥檚 hard to realize 鈥� it鈥檚 a dream, I can鈥檛 believe it.鈥�

There was one top-category climb near the start at Sierre as the race headed from Switzerland back across to Italy and an almost entirely flat rest of the 193-kilometre (120-mile) route to Cassano Magnago.

A large breakaway of 29 riders eventually escaped on the approach to the climb.

Four riders got away from that bunch with about 60 kilometres remaining but they were caught by the chasing group shortly before the line.

鈥淲e put in a massive, massive effort to come back in the last 10K,鈥� Denz said. 鈥淓veryone was going full, everyone wanted to go for the victory and not for fourth place. Everyone was looking at each other.

鈥淏ut I thought, I already have a win so I don鈥檛 want to do fourth 鈥� either I win or I don鈥檛 care. Then I just go all in to the line and here I am again.鈥�

Armirail was 53 seconds behind and faced an anxious wait for the general classification group.

Sunday鈥檚 15th stage has four categorized climbs on the 195-kilometre (121-mile) route from Seregno to Bergamo.

The Giro ends in Rome in eight days.

The Associated Press

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