On Wednesday, Derek Gee-West announced that he would not be taking part in the world championship time trial and mixed relay time trial event. The Osgoode, Ont., rider has been scheduled to compete in those races as well as the elite men’s road on the final day of worlds in Montreal.
In his statement, Gee-West said, “Unfortunately, the ribs didn’t make it out of the crash on Sunday[‘s Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal] in one piece, so I won’t be lining up for the individual time trial or the mixed team relay. I’ll do everything I can to line up next Sunday for the road race in the best shape possible in front of the home crowd, and can’t wait to see the Canadians rip it up across the rest of the events!”
During the Montreal race, with about 41 km left to go, Gee-West and a few other riders went down on the St-Urbain section of the city circuit. After riding to the start/finish, Gee-West withdrew from the race. He then rode back to the hotel where the teams where staying. Later, Gee-West’s team, Lidl-Trek, reported that there were no serious injuries following an assessment by the team doctor.
Wednesday, after Gee-West’s message on social media appeared, he clarified to Canadian Cycling Magazine that he had x-rays on Monday, the day after the race. The news came Tuesday that he’d suffered broken ribs.
After Sunday’s race, Canadian riders who participated in the Montreal GP learned of Gee-West’s crash once they’d come across the finish line. Michael Woods, who is slated to ride with Gee-West at the world championship road race, said he saw the crash but didn’t know his compatriot was mixed up in it. “That’s no good,” Woods said after learning about the crash. “Hopefully, he recovers.”
“He’s tough,” Pier-Andre Cote added later, noting Gee-West’s durability.