Derek Gee has suggested he faces a damages claim of roughly €30 million after unilaterally terminating his contract with Israel-Premier Tech, citing "serious concerns related to racing for the team, both from a safety and personal-belief standpoint," as the reasons why he ended his contract.
The Canadian rider announced on August 25 that he and his legal representatives had unilaterally terminated his contract. Israel-Premier Tech claimed Gee's contract, due to run until 2028, is valid. The UCI is now involved in the case.
Gee has raced for Israel-Premier Tech since 2023. He showed his talents as a breakaway specialist at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, became the team's GC leader and finished ninth at the 2024 Tour de France and then fourth at this year's Giro d'Italia.
The Israel-Premier Tech team has been targeted by Pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks as the war in Gaza intensified, especially during the Vuelta a España. They pulled out of a number of Italian races, including Saturday's Il Lombardia and announced that team owner Sylvan Adams would step back from his role in 2026, with the team changing name and rebrand in a move away from 'its current Israeli identity.'
In October 2023, a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparked Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza. So far, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 64,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, with much of Gaza destroyed.
Gee indicated that he terminated his contract due to a "personal-belief standpoint that weighed heavily on my conscience."
"I know many people have been expecting an update, and while I cannot comment on any ongoing proceedings, I feel it is very important to share my side of the story," Gee wrote in a statement published on social media.
"I terminated my contract with just cause, as is every person's right when they are unable to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances.
"This decision was not taken lightly - it followed an irreparable relationship with the team principal, as well as serious concerns related to racing for the team, both from a safety and personal-belief standpoint that weighed heavily on my conscience."
Gee claimed that the team did not agree with his position and so he faces a huge damages claim.
"I am now facing what I understand to be a damages claim said to exceed approximately 30 million euros - for doing nothing more than exercising my fundamental rights as a professional and a person," Gee wrote.
"These are not the kind of numbers, or the kind of situation, any athlete expects when they dream of becoming a professional cyclist, and I believe it flies in the face of the very values that sport seeks to uphold.
"These actions are also a reflection of the very issues that led to the breakdown of the relationship to begin with.
"It strengthens my belief that leaving the team was the right decision, regardless of the recent announcement of branding changes and cosmetic structural shifts."
Cyclingnews contacted Israel-Premier Tech about Gee's comments, but did not receive a reply at the time of publication.
