TakeWorlds3 weeks ago
Gee-West's own statement makes clear he wasn't pulled from Sunday's road race—he pulled himself. He said the recovery "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." That's a rider stepping aside from a home Worlds because his ribs haven't healed enough to be useful, and a teammate would do more with the spot.
Cycling Canada announced the withdrawal on September 22, replacing Gee-West with Guillaume Boivin, a three-time Canadian road champion. Boivin called it hard to watch: «I appreciate Derek's honesty in the situation, I know it's very hard for him pulling out of a home worlds.» Gee-West called it "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent Canada"—and gave it up anyway, on his own terms.
Sources
Analysed 2 sources, written and summarised with AI · How we work