Gee-West realises how lucky he has been, hopes to still play a role in the Giro despite the pain
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Follow us on GoogleLidl-Trek came close again on stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia, just as they had on day one — but again, fortune didn't fall their way in Bulgaria. Giulio Ciccone finished third on the stage, but it is the heavy crash and time loss suffered by Derek Gee-West that will sting the team most.
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First to Gee-West, who was caught up in the horrifying crash in the finale. The Canadian — easy to spot in his red-and-white national champion's jersey — was stationary at the roadside for some time, but was eventually able to continue. With the race neutralised, Gee-West was also able to return to the peloton.
Once the race director restarted the stage, however, Netcompany INEOS immediately went full gas for bonus seconds, before Visma | Lease a Bike ramped up the pace again on the final climb. Gee-West couldn't hold on and was shed early on the ascent.
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Gee-West can still smile despite losing over a minute
Eventually, though, the Canadian's diesel engine came back to life. We caught occasional glimpses of him working his way from group to group — but by the summit, his deficit to the by-now-vanished Jonas Vingegaard was fairly substantial. "I was flying on that climb," Gee-West said with a laugh at the finish.
Gee-West crossed the line in a group that finished 1 minute 1 second down on the winner. It is the first significant time loss of the race for Lidl-Trek's GC leader — but it could have been a great deal worse.
"Derek and Max Walscheid have been checked at the bus, and at this point it looks like both will be able to start stage 3," the team confirmed. They did add a note of caution, however — a night's sleep can sometimes bring things to the surface that aren't immediately apparent.
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Ciccone almost gives Lidl-Trek something to smile about
A minute ahead of Gee-West's group, Lidl-Trek were still fighting for the stage win. With Vingegaard and his companions beginning to play a waiting game, a large chase group came back, and Ciccone was part of it. The Italian had just failed to make the connection with the Vingegaard group on the climb, but sprinted to third place.
"It was a strange finale. First we stopped, then it wasn't clear whether we were racing again. And then suddenly there was that incredibly explosive climb," said Cicco afterwards. "We went all-out and it's a shame about the result at the line. Above all I just hope everyone is okay, because it was a nasty crash."
Ciccone said he wasn't entirely surprised the crash happened. "The roads were filthy — there was mud everywhere — and then there's the stress in the peloton in the opening days of a Grand Tour..."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026
