Hi Subscribers,
Apologies for the late-night email, but word is drifting in that Derek Gee-West could be heading to Lidl-Trek for 2026.
We’ve heard from several sources that a move is close to completion, bringing an end to a long transfer and contract saga that kicked off when Derek Gee-West terminated his contract with Israel-Premier Tech ahead of the 2025 Vuelta a España.
We don’t yet have official confirmation from Lidl-Trek, but several sources have indicated the move could be announced in the coming days. Gee was initially linked to Ineos Grenadiers almost as soon as he terminated his contract, but those ties quickly fell away as the last few months dragged on.
Part one: Ranking the top 100 cycling transfers ahead of 2026 – Nos 100-71
Part two: Ranking the top 100 cycling transfers ahead of 2026 – Nos 70-41
Part three: Ranking the top 100 cycling transfers ahead of 2026 – Nos 40-16
Follow me on: Twitter 🟢 — Instagram 🔴 — Bluesky 🔵
The British team are now on the cusp of signing Oscar Onley from Picnic PostNL, leaving room for Gee-West to move to Lidl-Trek and bring their roster to 30 riders.
We were at the Lidl-Trek media day in Denia, Spain, and there was no news or hint that Gee-West would be joining the team. However, we understand that the paperwork is progressing behind the scenes and that internal comms could be issued soon.
Coincidentally, it was interesting that during the Lidl-Trek media day, no GC rider was positioned as the Lidl-Trek leader for the 2026 Giro d’Italia, with Juan Ayuso heading to the Tour de France alongside Mattias Skjelmose as a super domestique. The Giro, with its 40.2km time trial, would be well-suited to Gee’s skillset as a rider. The Canadian rider finished fourth in the GC at the Giro d’Italia in 2025.
Right now, Lidl-Trek have 29 riders on their books for next season, with Gee-West’s possible arrival bringing the number to 30. We don’t yet know the status of the UCI arbitral case involving Gee-West, but given the fast-paced nature of the rider’s potential move, it appears that a resolution has probably been made.
When he terminated his contract with Israel-Premier Tech earlier in the year, the team filed a case with the UCI, and Gee publicly stated that he was facing a 30-million-euro legal battle.
This is an evolving story and will be updated as we receive more information.
This exclusive story is free and not behind a paywall. If you’d like to consider supporting my work, please click below and take out a subscription. For a small monthly or annual fee, you’ll have access to all my transfer news, transfer analysis, rider interviews, tech, race content and much, much more. On Saturday, I’ll be at the UAE Team Emirates-XRG training camp in Benidorm.
I have established a WhatsApp Community Group for Substack founding members. I post interview recordings and transfer news almost daily.
To sign up, subscribe or upgrade to Founding Member status. Once you’ve signed up, I’ll ask for your mobile number and add you to the group. This group is not for mainstream cycling press, full-time staff on cycling teams, team owners, or CEOs at cycling brands. Sorry. It’s just for the fans.
You can modify your subscription in your profile settings. If you’re starting from scratch, click below.