Primoz Roglic closes in on Giro d'Italia title, Ottawa's Gee 31st on penultimate stage

Primoz Roglic all but secured the Giro d'Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial.

Roglic started the stage 26 seconds behind Thomas — who was trying to become the oldest Giro champion in history — but finished the route 40 seconds quicker than the British cyclist after the demanding climb of the Monte Lussari.

That saw Roglic move into the leader's pink jersey, 14 seconds ahead of Thomas going into the race's mainly ceremonial final stage.

Roglic was cheered on all the way by thousands of fans from just across the border to his native Slovenia. They packed the slopes of the brutal ascent up Monte Lussari, which had an elevation of more than 3,000 feet and gradients of up to 22 per cent.

The 33-year-old Roglic celebrated at the end with his wife and son, who was wearing a replica of the pink jersey.

"Just something amazing, eh? It's not at the end about the win itself, but about the people, and the energy here, so incredible, really moments to live and to remember," said Roglic, who had tears in his eyes during the post-stage television interview, which he did with his son in his arms.

It will be a fourth Grand Tour victory for Roglic, who won the Spanish Vuelta three years in a row from 2019-2021.

Derek Gee, the lone Canadian in the field, finished 31st, four minutes 16 seconds behind Roglic. The 25-year-old from Ottawa, who has four second-place finishes and two fourths in the race, stands 22nd in the general classification standings.

Gee, riding for Israel-Premier Tech in his first Grand Tour event, is also second behind Italy's Jonathan Milan in the points race and second to France's Thibaut Pinot in the King