Derek Gee-West
Born on 3 August 1997 in Ottawa, Canada, Derek Gee is one of the most remarkable late-blooming stage racers in the modern peloton. A former track cyclist who reinvented himself as a Grand Tour GC contender, Gee announced himself with a stunning 2023 Giro d'Italia and has since become a fixture near the top of the world's biggest stage races. He finished fourth overall at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, his best Grand Tour result to date, and reached the podium of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné. After a high-profile departure from Israel-Premier Tech, he joined Lidl-Trek on a long-term deal for 2026. Find Derek Gee's latest results, stats and race calendar on this page.
Biography of pro cyclist Derek Gee
Derek Gee's rise is one of cycling's best recent stories: a rider who arrived at the WorldTour with limited road pedigree and, within a couple of seasons, was being talked about as a genuine Grand Tour contender. Aggressive, durable and tactically fearless, he made his name by animating races rather than waiting on them.
What sets Gee apart is his consistency in the toughest week-long and three-week races. Across 2024 and 2025 he repeatedly delivered top results in major stage races, turning a breakthrough into a sustained, reliable level at the very front of the sport.
Early life and cycling background in Canada
Gee grew up in Osgoode, a rural community south of Ottawa that later became part of the city. Encouraged by a father involved in masters road racing, he started competing locally around the age of nine and took up track cycling as a teenager. His engine and endurance were built through years of time trials, cyclocross and track racing in the Ottawa area, and he initially made his international mark on the boards, representing Canada in track endurance events.
The transition to the road was not instant, but the raw power and pain tolerance Gee developed on the track would prove perfectly suited to Grand Tour racing.
The 2023 Giro breakthrough
Gee's defining moment came at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, his first Grand Tour, in his first WorldTour season with Israel-Premier Tech. He finished second on four separate stages and fourth on two more, came runner-up in the points, mountains and intermediate-sprint classifications, and was named the race's overall most combative rider. It was a relentless, all-or-nothing campaign that turned a little-known Canadian into one of the sport's most talked-about young riders.
Becoming a GC contender
In 2024, Gee converted promise into podiums. He took his first professional victory on stage 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné and finished third overall there, then made an impressive Tour de France debut, finishing ninth on general classification. In 2025 he went further still: he won the overall and a stage at O Gran Camiño, claimed the Canadian national road race title, and rode to fourth overall at the Giro d'Italia, his best Grand Tour GC result yet, backing it up with strong placings across every stage race he started.
A messy exit and a fresh start at Lidl-Trek
Gee's 2025 season ended amid a high-profile contract dispute. He stepped away from Israel-Premier Tech, citing personal beliefs, and did not ride the team's Vuelta a España. The split was contentious, but it did not dent his standing in the peloton: he signed a three-year deal with Lidl-Trek for 2026, joining one of the sport's strongest squads as a designated Grand Tour leader.
Rider profile: strengths, style, and characteristics
Gee is an aggressive, all-terrain stage racer. He climbs well, time trials competently and has the breakaway instincts of a born opportunist, a rider who reads a race and commits fully. His track background shows in his raw power and tolerance for repeated efforts, and he has the consistency to stay near the top of GC across three weeks. Above all, he races to win moves, not to follow them.
Personal life
Gee remains closely tied to the Ottawa-area cycling scene that produced him, and his rapid rise has made him one of Canada's most prominent endurance athletes. He is known for his understated, self-deprecating manner off the bike, once admitting he wasn't even sure what kind of rider he was, which sits in sharp contrast to his fearless racing style.
Records and milestones
- 4th overall, Giro d'Italia (2025), best Grand Tour GC result
- 3rd overall and stage 3 winner, Critérium du Dauphiné (2024)
- 9th overall, Tour de France debut (2024)
- Overall and stage winner, O Gran Camiño (2025)
- Canadian national road race champion (2025)
- Most combative rider, Giro d'Italia (2023), with four second-place stage finishes
- Signed long-term with Lidl-Trek for 2026
What's next for Derek Gee?
With a fresh start at Lidl-Trek and a Grand Tour leadership role, Gee's ambition is clear: to turn his run of near-misses and top-five finishes into a Grand Tour podium and, ultimately, a maiden three-week win. Still in his prime and improving year on year, he arrives at his new team as one of the most intriguing GC contenders in the peloton.
