Pre-race favorite Primo Logric (Bora Hansgrohe) took the lead at Stage 6 at the Critical du Dauphine, but it was the surprise GC package Derek Gee (Israel Premiatech) who finished just 13 seconds behind.

The Canadian, who won Stage 3 with a double・late surge up to Les Estables, topped last year's Giro d'Italia as the top breakaway rider, but the 2024 Dauphine saw him reach his career peak at the age of 26.

In the four days of the race, he managed to win the stage and, along with it, moved to the yellow jersey for the day and ended up in fourth place in the most difficult stage yet

Although today's stage was much more impressive, Gee was in uncharted territory and was able to win the stage like rogliß or Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step). I was confused in the last few kilometers after fighting with something like that.

"In a long shot," Gee admitted to ITV when asked if the stage had performed better than expected. "I think I might have done too much work on the climb just because I've never been in that position. 

"It was pretty cool because usually I'm just hanging around for dear life.

After Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) launched an attack in the last 5km of the climb, Gee was found bridging to a tracking group that included Roglić and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease A Bike).

However, he could have been in front too much, sometimes dragging the rest of the group in his wheels up to 2 leaders on the road. But he rallied in the final and was defeated only by the Bora duo and Jorgenson, who in the process beat some of the top climbers in World Cycling. 

"They started the game, but usually I'm already gone at that point. There the guy fell and I just started riding because I was like "I don't want them to catch me"," says Gee of his decision under extreme fatigue

"Daryl[Impey, DS] Yes 'hi' to my ear" I'm glad I'm a cross-eyed guy like that.

"I looked back at a few hairpins and saw that the group was quite small. Honestly, I really made it to the line, luckily I just went for a win at any point I thought I wasn't sure when the lights were going to go out.

Thanks to Gee's stunning stage victory and Yellow Jersey's brave defense in Stage 4ITT, today's climbing performance meant he was held fourth overall. 

He sits within reach of the podium, just three seconds down to Jorgenson, or at least the top five GC results a week stage race on the world Tour

"I think now, after the first test, I just want to try and see how the next few days go and work out." Gee

He has a 31・second advantage over Vlasov to contend with 4th and 2 brutally tough summit finishes, but Gee seems to have found true flight form after descending from altitude and the Tour de France is approaching. It looks like his best results have not arrived yet.