Canadian champion Derek Gee-West can finally breathe a sigh of relief and focus on the major goals for his 2026 season with Lidl-Trek after months of a reported $30 million lawsuit hanging over his head.
The 28-year-old met with the media today, including Cyclingnews, in a video call from the Lidl-Trek team camp, and confirmed that the case was now resolved but preferred not to speak about his contentious departure from Israel-Premier Tech that could easily have ended his career.
However, in a separate interview with the Spanish newspaper El País along with his attorney, he was more forthcoming.
“These past months have been incredibly stressful,” Gee-West told El País. ”This case has been a constant headache,a process in which I’ve experienced some truly dark days,with moments when I thought that,unfortunately,retirement was a very real possibility,especially given the enormous sum of money involved.”
Former team owner and billionaire Sylvan adams attempted to sue Gee-West for a reported €30 million in damages after the rider terminated his contract with Israel-premier Tech following the mass protests against the team amid IsraelS armed conflict in Gaza.
After months of silence, Gee-West and attorney Branco Martins finally revealed to El País that they asserted that his contract was that of a self-employed freelancer, not of a salaried employee, so he was free to break his contract.
“What worried me most was making it clear at all times that money was never my motivation,” Gee-West said to El país. “There’s no good way to express your political opinion without being rejected. I didn’t want to use what was happening in the Gaza Strip as a scapegoat to get out of my contract.I didn’t think it was fair.”
Derek Gee-West Shifts Focus to Giro d’Italia Glory
Gee-West’s 2026 season is fully focused on the Giro d’Italia after he impressively finished fourth in 2025, just 1:40 off the podium. His training regimen is now geared towards surpassing that result. He will begin his campaign at the Volta ao Algarve in February, continuing with the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour of the Alps as crucial readiness races for the Giro.
“I really love the Giro. Even as I was a kid, it’s been my favourite of the Grand Tours. And obviously I had the breakout race there in 2023, but if I did [the Giro] every year for the rest of my career, I’d be happy with that.”
The Lidl-Trek team boasts a strong lineup, with Juan Ayuso designated as the Tour de France general classification (GC) leader, and Mads pedersen set to contest the green jersey competition.
Gee-west will share GC leadership for the Giro d’Italia with Giulio ciccone, supported by the sprinting prowess of Jonathan Milan, who will aim for another points classification victory. This multi-faceted approach highlights Lidl-Trek’s ambition for success across different classifications in the Italian Grand Tour.
“Honestly, maybe it’s more the style of rider I am, but I don’t feel like I need to have six guys around me to race GC,” he said when asked by Cyclingnews. “I think I would complement really well having guys stage hunting or sprinting, obviously, which will remain a big focus.”
The Canadian’s ambitions will be tested by the presence of formidable rivals, notably Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who is also targeting the GC. Gee-West acknowledges the challenge but remains realistic about his potential.
“There’s a lot of levels of rider between me and [Grand Tour winners Vingegaard and tadej Pogačar]. It’s just one step at a time, trying to improve, trying to reach that next level.
“Those guys have both won multiple Grand Tours. My goal is to reach that podium for now and just try and chip away bit by bit. Just because I’ve come fourth, I could improve across the board and not improve on the result, based on the field, based off the luck. It’s bike racing – but my goal is just to put everything in place as best I can to help myself make it as easy as possible to try and make that step.”
Lidl-Trek is providing Gee-West with a thorough support system,which he describes as the “gold standard” in professional cycling.
“I went pro, by today’s standards, very late at 25, and so I’ve done three seasons and I only started GC at the Dauphine in ’24. I think there’s a ton still to go, even physically,” he said.
“Obviously, the first bit was a big learning curve – and that’s where I think I improved the most – was just learning how to ride GC, because that was very new. But I think even even physically, there’s still quite a bit of enhancement to go again. I can’t say for sure that I’m going to get better, but I no there are some areas that I still need to improve, and hopefully those can translate into results.”
