Derek Gee-West withdraws from World Championships time trial at home

Bad news for Canadian fans: Derek Gee-West , one of the main names in the hunt for a home victory at the World Championships, has been forced to withdraw from Sunday's time trial, with his participation in the road race now shrouded in uncertainty.

The Lidl-Trek rider crashed last weekend during the GP Cycliste de Montréal, about 40 km from the finish line, and later returned to the hotel with the team after suffering rib injuries. What seemed like a simple mishap turned out to be much more serious than expected.

“A small bump in the road to the 2026 World Championships at home in Montreal,” Gee-West wrote in an Instagram post, suggesting perhaps excessive optimism given the true extent of the injury.

"Unfortunately, my ribs didn't make it out in one piece from Sunday's crash, so I won't be at the start of either the Individual Time Trial or the Team Mixed Relay," the Canadian later admitted.

"I'll do everything I can to be at the start next Sunday for the road race in the best possible shape in front of my home crowd, and I can't wait to see the Canadians smash it in the rest of the races!" he added, while still leaving a glimmer of hope for the key race of the week.