'It feels like the right environment for the next phase of my career' – Derek Gee-West signs for Lidl-Trek after termination of Israel-Premier Tech contract

Derek Gee-West will ride for Lidl-Trek from 2026 onwards, after a protracted exit from his former team, Israel-Premier Tech.

The Canadian national champion's new home was revealed on Tuesday after weeks of speculation; there was no mention of his contract termination in the Lidl-Trek press release.

However, a statement from NSN Cycling, which is what Israel-Premier Tech are now known as, confirmed that an agreement had been reached for the rider to leave.

Gee-West, who finished fourth overall at the Giro d'Italia last year, will ride for Lidl-Trek until at least 2028.

Last year, he revealed that he had given notice of ending his contract with Israel-Premier Tech in August. He was set to ride the Vuelta a España, but was pulled from the team at late notice, with the case is being dealt with by the UCI. Previously, Gee-West has said that he faced paying damages of around €30 million to his former team.

In October, he explained: "I terminated my contract with just cause, as is every person's right when they are unable to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances.

"This decision was not taken lightly - it followed an irreparable relationship with the team principal, as well as serious concerns related to racing for the team, both from a safety and personal-belief standpoint that weighed heavily on my conscience."

At the Vuelta and after, Israel-Premier Tech faced persistent protests over their presence in the race from pro-Palestine activists in Spain; stages were shortened or cancelled, and the team changed jerseys to one without 'Israel' on it. The team were forced to rebrand.

A statement from NSN Cycling on Tuesday read: "NSN Cycling Team has finalised an agreement, approved by the UCI, with Lidl-Trek and Derek Gee-West, which will see Gee-West's existing contract with our team conclude.

"NSN Cycling Team wishes Derek Gee-West the best of luck for the future with his new team."

"It’s pretty special to be joining Lidl-Trek," Gee-West said in the Lidl-Trek press release. "From the outside, you can already see that this is an organisation operating very close to the gold standard in our sport, and that was something that really appealed to me. 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.

"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. 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."

"Bringing Derek on board is a big boost for us," Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek general manager, added. "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.

"Derek will have the full support of our performance resources to fully realise his potential. As a team, we have big goals across the entire season, and recruiting Derek brings us one step closer to achieving them."

Gee-West is the second rider to end their contract early and move to Lidl-Trek ahead of the 2026 season, after Juan Ayuso left UAE Team Emirates-XRG. The newly German-registered team can now count on Ayuso, Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose, Gee-West and more as GC or powerful climbing options.