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Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada has revealed he is confronting a massive damages claim totaling 30 million euros by his previous squad, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team. This comes after his decision to terminate his agreement due to what he called "personal beliefs."

Race Exit and Key Motivations

Gee, aged 28, after placing fourth overall at the recent Giro d’Italia, departed from Israel-Premier Tech just prior to the Vuelta a España in September. That race was subject to widespread demonstrations related to Palestine linked to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

"I ended my agreement for valid reasons, as is every person’s right when they are unable to continue performing their work in the current situation," Gee stated on his social media accounts.

He noted that his choice was not taken lightly and came after a broken relationship with the team principal, in addition to major worries about competing for the squad from both a safety and personal-belief standpoint. These factors deeply affected his conscience, he added.

Official Stance and Legal Proceedings

Israel-Premier Tech told Reuters they were unable to provide a statement regarding this issue since the dispute is currently before the arbitration panel of cycling's governing body, the sport’s governing body. The news agency also reached out to the governing body for their input.

Gee acknowledged that departing from Israel-Premier Tech left him without a contract or insurance in case of injury, but stated this was a chance he was willing to take since he was unable to continue racing with the squad.

Substantial Demand and Team Changes

"I understand the team sees it differently," Gee continued. "However, I now confront what I understand to be a financial demand said to exceed approximately €30m – for doing nothing more than exercising my fundamental rights as a professional and individual."

He expressed that this situation reinforce his view that leaving the team was the right decision, despite the recent announcement about rebranding and organizational adjustments.

The basis is uncertain what the €30m figure represents. Riders typically earn just a small portion of that amount during their racing years.

Separately, Israel–Premier Tech announced on Monday that the team will undertake a complete rebranding starting in 2026, moving away from their Israeli identity following over ten years.