OFFICIAL: Derek Gee signs with Lidl-Trek after months-long silence - "We haven’t even seen his limit yet"

It is a signing that had been in the making for a while, and it has now been made official. Derek Gee is joining Lidl-Trek with a three-year contract running all the way to 2028. The German team's level grows even further by capturing the last top-level rider who was available on the market.

“Bringing Derek on board is a big boost for us. 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," team manager Luca Guarcilena said in a press release.

Gee, fourth at last year's Giro d'Italia, has been evolving as a climber over the last few years and is now one of the most versatile riders in the peloton. He terminated his contract with Israel - Premier Tech unilaterally last August, before the Vuelta a España where he was supposed to be leading.

The team has since dissolved in what was its form at the time, becoming NSN Cycling Team. Gee was then inserted into a legal battle with the former team management, which saw him being accused of causing €30 million euros in damages. In a statement by the new team, it seems clear that these have been resolved. Initially he was linked to INEOS Grenadiers, however his name slowly faded into silence throughout the winter.

It had been rumoured, but not confirmed that he made the trio to Lidl-Trek's camp in mid-December. From there on, the transfer seemed only like a matter of time. "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.”

“It’s pretty special to be joining Lidl-Trek. From the outside, you can already see that this is an organization operating very close to the gold standard in our sport, and that was something that really appealed to me," the Canadian added. "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".

With Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose and Mads Pedersen all heading to the Tour de France, it seems quite logic that Gee will be given a leadership role at the Giro d'Italia where he was close to the podium this past spring. The 28-year old has last raced at the Canadian national championships in June however, and will take some racing to get back to the rhythm.

“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," he concludes. "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.”