Israel-Premier Tech have claimed that Derek Gee's contract is valid until 2028 and intend to 'uphold the respective contract' despite the Canadian rider issuing a notice of termination via his lawyers and reports that he is about to transfer to Ineos Grenadiers.
Daniel Benson, Ciro Scognamiglio and WielerFlits all reported that Gee could change teams and join Ineos as the British WorldTour team works to rebuild its Grand Tour ambitions under the return of Dave Brailsford as team manager.
Gee was expected to ride the Vuelta a España after finishing fourth in the Giro d'Italia. However, he was not part of the eight-rider line-up that Israel-Premier Tech announced on Wednesday.
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As reports emerged about Gee's possible move to Ineos, Israel-Premier Tech responded with a statement insisting that Gee's current contract with the team is valid.
The team has also involved the UCI, which regulates contracts and possible transfers. Any deal that leads to Gee transferring to Ineos would have to be agreed to by the two teams and approved by the UCI.
"Israel-Premier Tech was unexpectedly issued a notice of termination from lawyers representing Derek Gee on Friday, 9 August," the statement from the team reads.
"Gee, who is under his contract with Israel-Premier Tech until 2028, having signed a five-year contract extension in 2023, had been engaged in discussions with team management to renegotiate the conditions of his current contract.
"Israel-Premier Tech firmly believes that Gee's contract is valid until 2028 and is engaged in continued discussions with Gee's representatives and the UCI to resolve the situation and uphold the respective contract."
28-year-old Gee was a successful track rider and turned professional in Europe in 2023 after racing for the Israel Cycling Academy development team. He immediately impressed at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, finishing second on four stages and going in the breakaway on seven stages. He was second in the mountains and the points competition.
Gee began to focus on the general classification at the Tour de France in 2024. He won a stage and was third overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné and then fought to finish ninth in his first Tour.
He focused on the Giro again in 2025 and fought back from an early time loss to finish fourth in Rome. He won the Canadian national road race title in late June but has not raced since.
The fight amongst teams for potential Grand Tour contenders has sparked a number of big-name transfers in recent years that have disrupted some teams' long-term ambitions and shaken up the peloton.
Remco Evenepoel pushed to secure his release from Soudal-QuickStep a year before the end of his contract, with Soudal-QuickStep's management opting to do a deal and so allowing the Belgian to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in 2026.
Cian Uijtdebroeks terminated his contract with Bora-Hansgrohe in the winter of 2023 to force a transfer to Visma-Lease a Bike, and Maxim Van Gils used a similar strategy to leave Lotto and join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for 2025.
Some see Gee's possible transfer to Ineos like Bradley Wiggins' move from Garmin-Slipstream to Team Sky in 2010. The British rider was a successful track rider and used his physiology, combined with weight loss, to become a Grand Tour contender. He was fourth in the Tour de France in 2009 and then won the Tour in 2012 after his move to Team Sky.
The UCI has tried to strengthen rules regarding transfers and rider agents, but has little influence if teams eventually accept the loss of a rider and agree to transfer in exchange for payment.
Gee is Israel-Premier Tech's team leader, and with Michael Woods also retiring at the end of 2025, the team would lack big-name leaders as they step back up to WorldTour level in 2026.
