Having joined Lidl-Trek following a drawn-out split from Israel-Premier Tech, Derek Gee-West is finally making his first race appearance since becoming Canadian National Champion back in June at the seven-stage UAE Tour from Monday.
"It's definitely a mix of excitement and nerves. Mostly, I'm just looking forward to getting going again," Gee-West told Cyclingnews from the team's hotel in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, as part of a longer interview.
"We'll see. Maybe it'll be a super nice introduction, maybe we'll have crosswinds on the first day, and I'll be thrown right into it. But no, at this point, it's mostly excitement. I just want to get back in the bunch."
Gee-West's 231 days without racing came after he decided to terminate his contract with the former Israeli team, which later changed ownership and name to NSN, citing initially how, for him, "Certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable."
He then clarified further that "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."
It wasn't plain sailing after the announcement in the late summer of 2025, with the team insisting his contract – which was due to run until 2028 – remained valid, entering into a legal dispute that was set to see Gee-West face up to €30 million in damages, he claimed.
Having reached an agreement and finalised it with the UCI, the Canadian was allowed to leave and has tried to put that whole saga behind him. Lidl-Trek offered him a fresh start and Gee-West has now come straight in to replace the ill Giulio Ciccone in the UAE.
Gee-West admitted that he was upbeat with his current shape, especially given the circumstances.
"Honestly, because I joined the team in December, I think the prep has definitely gone a lot better than I expected. The integration was super smooth, and the team's been great on that front," he said.
"So I'm actually really happy with where I am to start the season. Obviously, I'm a last-minute addition to UAE, which is maybe not the perfect litmus test, because maybe [I] missed some heat training or whatever prep specific for this kind of race.
"But I think it's gone so much better than I could have asked for, considering where I was physically and mentally in November. I'm not gonna say I'm flying, but compared to where I thought I would be after the end of last season, I'm really happy to be where I am."
While the Algarve was swapped for the UAE, the remainder of Gee-West's plans remain the same for the moment, with his main focus being another hit out at the Giro d'Italia, where he finished fourth overall last season, and the Volta a Catalunya and Tour of the Alps being his preparation races.
Fans who were disappointed by the underwhelming Canadian national champion's jersey that Gee-West was presented in as a new signing will also be delighted to hear that he is starting Monday's first stage in a new design.
"I couldn't believe the backlash," he laughed, "because, yeah, it was a massively quick turnaround. I was super happy to even have a jersey, so they could do the official photos and everything. But yes, there will be a new national champs jersey, and the Maple Leaf is bigger."
On just his second appearance at the Middle East's only WorldTour race, he'll make up part of a strong GC field competing for the red jersey, alongside Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
