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Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada stated publicly he is confronting a massive damages claim totaling €30 million by his previous squad, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team. This follows his choice to terminate his agreement due to what he called "personal beliefs."

Departure Before Key Event and Underlying Reasons

Gee, aged 28, who finished fourth overall at the recent Giro d’Italia, left his team shortly before September’s Vuelta a España. That race experienced widespread pro-Palestinian protests linked to the conflict in Gaza.

"I ended my agreement with just cause, which is anyone's entitlement if they cannot to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances," 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 related to racing for the team from both a safety and personal-belief standpoint. These issues weighed heavily on his moral judgment, 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 arbitral board of cycling's governing body, the sport’s governing body. Reuters also reached out to the governing body for comment.

Gee admitted that departing from Israel-Premier Tech left him without a contract or protection in case of injury, but stated it was a risk he was willing to take as he could no longer keep competing for the team.

Substantial Demand and Rebranding News

"I understand the team sees it differently," Gee continued. "However, I am now facing what I understand to be a financial demand reportedly over around 30 million euros – for doing nothing more than exercising my fundamental rights as an athlete and a person."

He expressed that these developments reinforce his view that leaving the team was correct, despite the team's recent statement of branding changes and cosmetic structural shifts.

The basis is uncertain what the €30m figure represents. Professional cyclists usually make just a small portion of that amount throughout their careers.

Separately, the team stated earlier this week that the team would undergo a full rebrand starting in 2026, moving away from their current Israeli branding following over ten years.