Five days after pulling out of time trial events at Road World Championships in Montréal, Canadian Derek Gee-West will now remain on the sidelines for the road race, missing any opportunity for a medal in front of home crowds.
Cycling Canada announced the withdrawal of the 29-year-old from Ontario just hours after the completion of the Team Time Trial, where Canada completed the 40.6km event without their elite men's national champion, finishing ninth.
“I’m gutted to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent Canada at our home World Championships,” Gee-West said in a statement issued from Cycling Canada.
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“Unfortunately, the recovery from the crash at GP Montreal hasn’t been fast enough to put me in a place where I can race properly or contribute to the team and justify taking a spot at the start. I’m still looking forward to experiencing the Worlds atmosphere in Montreal, but this time it’ll be from the other side of the fence.”
He captured fifth in GC at this year's Giro d'Italia, following fourth overall in 2025. He worked for Lidl-Trek teammates at Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec two weeks ago, teammate Giulio Ciccone taking second, but crashed out of the next Canadian WorldTour race in Montréal. With 41km to go, the Canadian was involved in a crash with four other riders on a flat part of the course, and he was not able to continue.
He said on social media that "the ribs didn't make it out of the crash", so he took his name off the start list for the elite men's road race and the Team Time Trial for Canada.
Veteran Guillaume Boivin will fill the roster spot at the elite men's road race on Sunday. A three-time Canadian road champion, Boivin last earned a national title in 2021. Now in his 16th season as a pro rider, he has multiple appearances at World Championships, earning a bronze medal in the 2010 men's under-23 road race his first year with a pro contract. He has been with the NSN Cycling team programme for a decade.
“I appreciate Derek’s honesty in the situation, I know it’s very hard for him pulling out of a home Worlds. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking to have a good race and represent Canada well on home turf,” Boivin said.
Boivin will compete alongside fellow Ontarians Michael Woods and Michael Leonard with a trio of riders from Quebec are Hugo Houle,Nickolas Zukowsky and Pier‑André Côté.
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