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Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada has revealed he is confronting a substantial legal demand totaling 30 million euros from his former team, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team. This comes after his decision to terminate his agreement based on what he described as "deeply held convictions."

Departure Before Key Event and Underlying Reasons

Gee, aged 28, who finished fourth in the general classification at the recent Giro d’Italia, left Israel-Premier Tech just prior to the Vuelta a España in September. That race was subject to extensive pro-Palestinian protests linked to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

"I terminated my agreement with just cause, which is anyone's entitlement if they cannot to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances," Gee stated in a social media post.

He emphasized that his choice was carefully considered and followed a broken relationship with the team principal, in addition to serious concerns related to racing for the team from safety and personal-belief standpoint. These issues weighed heavily on his moral judgment, he added.

Team’s Response and Legal Proceedings

Israel-Premier Tech told Reuters they were unable to provide a statement on the matter since the dispute is now with the arbitration panel of the UCI, the sport’s governing body. Reuters also reached out to the governing body for comment.

Gee acknowledged that leaving the team left him without an agreement or protection if he were injured, but added this was a chance he was willing to take as he could no longer continue racing for the team.

Substantial Demand and Team Changes

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

He shared that these developments strengthens my belief that leaving the team was the right decision, despite the team's recent statement about rebranding and cosmetic structural shifts.

It remains unclear what the 30 million euro claim covers. Professional cyclists usually make only a fraction of that sum throughout their careers.

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