The uncertainty surrounding Derek Gee’s future team could soon come to an end. Lidl-Trek is reportedly on the verge of signing the Canadian. This was reported by Irish cycling journalist Daniel Benson.
Although Lidl-Trek has not yet officially announced Gee’s arrival, multiple sources have told Benson that this could happen in the coming days. The fourth-place finisher of the latest Giro d'Italia was initially linked to INEOS Grenadiers, but with the possible arrival of Oscar Onley, currently contracted to Picnic PostNL, at the British team, Gee is now free to move to the German squad.
Gee raced until this year for Israel-Premier Tech and had a contract running through 2028 with its successor NSN Cycling. However, the stage racer announced in August that he would be leaving the team. He later stated that this decision was based on safety concerns and personal beliefs regarding Israel’s war in Gaza.
He referred in particular to pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that caused unsafe situations in the peloton during the Vuelta a España. However, his employer did not let it rest and filed a case with the UCI. Gee stated that he was facing a damage claim of 30 million euros.
