Former Queen's Student Derek Gee-West Finishes 5th at 2026 Giro d'Italia

Queen's Athletics & Recreation is celebrating an outstanding achievement on the world stage, as former Queen's student Derek Gee-West delivered a remarkable performance finishing 5th overall at the 2026 Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's most prestigious Grand Tours.

Riding for Lidl-Trek, Gee-West completed the three-week race in a total time of 83h:30m:47s, crossing the line 7 minutes and 56 seconds behind overall winner Jonas Vingegaard following 21 demanding race stages from May 8 to May 31.

Gee-West's result places him among the world's elite cyclists, finishing just outside the podium in a highly competitive general classification that featured many of the sport's top riders. 

Over the course of the Giro, Gee-West demonstrated the consistency, endurance, and resilience that have become hallmarks of his riding style. His performance included several strong stage results in the decisive final week, including:

• 2nd place on Stage 19, finishing just seconds off the stage winner
• 4th place on Stage 20, one of the race's key mountain stages

Those efforts helped secure his top-five finish overall, as Gee-West emerged as one of the strongest general classification contenders throughout the closing stages of the race.

Reflecting on the final week, Gee-West acknowledged the intensity of the race, telling Cyclingnews, "It was super hard right from the start… we kept it rolling."

That resilience defined his Giro performance, as he battled through the mountains to secure a top-five finish against the world's best.

His aggressive and steady approach in the mountains proved especially impactful, allowing him to remain competitive against some of the best climbers in the world while continuing to build on his growing reputation as a Grand Tour rider.

From Queen's to the World Stage

Gee-West's journey to the top tier of international cycling includes a formative chapter at Queen's University. After enrolling at Queen's, he made the pivotal decision to pursue high-performance sport, ultimately transitioning back to elite cycling and launching a professional career that has quickly gained global attention.

Since then, he has become one of Canada's top cyclists, with a breakout performance at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, through multiple podium-stage finishes and earned the race's overall combativity award.

He has continued to build on that momentum, including:

• Top-10 finish at the Tour de France
• Podium finish at the Critérium du Dauphiné
• Multiple Canadian national titles

His 5th-place finish at the 2026 Giro marks a new career milestone and further establishes him as a contender in the world's biggest races.

The Giro d'Italia, now in its 109th edition, is renowned for its grueling terrain, featuring high mountain stages, time trials, and more than 3,400 kilometres of racing. 

For more photos of the race follow @derekgee97 & @lidltrek on Instagram.