Canadian champion’s arrival boosts Lidl-Trek climbing strength
Lidl-Trek is thrilled to announce that Derek Gee-West has signed a three-year contract that will see him race in Lidl-Trek colors through 2028.
The Canadian champion first captured the cycling world’s attention during his Grand Tour debut at the 2023 Giro d’Italia. Gee-West’s relentless attacking style and willingness to animate the race brought him agonizingly close to a Grand Tour stage win. While he ultimately finished second on four stages, along with runner-up honors in both the points and mountains classifications, he left the Giro firmly established as one of the peloton’s most exciting climbers.
Over the following two seasons, Gee-West continued to develop into a well-rounded stage racer, combining his climbing strength with strong performances against the clock. In 2024, he claimed a stage win and overall podium at the Critérium du Dauphiné before backing it up with a top-10 finish at the Tour de France. The next year began on winning terms at O Gran Camiño and culminated in a consistent and impressive Giro d’Italia, where Gee-West finished fourth overall after three demanding weeks, underlining his status as a genuine GC contender for the future.
Gee-West’s move to Lidl-Trek marks the beginning of a new chapter, as he looks to take the next step in his career within a new environment and ambitious long-term project.
The ambition, the structure, and the depth of talent across the Team are impressive, and it feels like the right environment for the next phase of my career.
“It’s pretty special to be joining Lidl-Trek,” said Gee-West. “From the outside, you can already see that this is an organisation operating very close to the gold standard in our sport, and that was something that really appealed to me. The ambition, the structure, and the depth of talent across the Team are impressive, and it feels like the right environment for the next phase of my career.
“I’m really looking forward to racing with shared ambitions and multiple options within the team. Lidl-Trek have world-class riders across so many areas of the sport, and being part of a group where we can play different cards in stage races and Grand Tours is something new for me. I’m excited to learn from that, to keep developing as a GC rider, and to see what we can achieve together over the coming years.”
“Bringing Derek on board is a big boost for us,” said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager. “Over the last three years he has shown an incredibly high level in stage races, and we’re sure we haven’t even seen his limit yet. Derek will have the full support of our performance resources to fully realize his potential. As a Team, we have big goals across the entire season, and recruiting Derek brings us one step closer to achieving them.”
