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Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada stated publicly he is confronting a massive legal demand amounting to 30 million euros from his former team, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team. This follows his choice to end his contract due to what he called "deeply held convictions."

Race Exit and Key Motivations

The 28-year-old, who finished fourth overall at the recent Giro d’Italia, left his team just prior to September’s Vuelta a España. The event was subject to widespread demonstrations related to Palestine connected with the conflict in Gaza.

"I terminated my contract with just cause, as is every person’s right if they cannot to keep fulfilling their work under the existing circumstances," Gee explained in a social media post.

He emphasized that the decision was carefully considered and followed a broken relationship with the team principal, in addition to serious concerns about competing for the squad from safety and ethical perspective. These factors weighed heavily on his conscience, he mentioned.

Official Stance and Legal Proceedings

Israel-Premier Tech informed Reuters they could not to provide a statement regarding this issue since the dispute is now with the arbitral board of cycling's governing body, the international cycling union. Reuters has also contacted the governing body for their input.

Gee acknowledged that leaving Israel-Premier Tech left him without a contract or insurance in case of injury, but added it was a risk he accepted since he was unable to keep competing for the team.

Massive Claim and Team Changes

"I understand the team has a different view," Gee continued. "However, I now confront what I understand to be a damages claim reportedly over around 30 million euros – for doing nothing more than exercising my fundamental rights as an athlete and individual."

He shared that these developments strengthens my belief that leaving the team was the right decision, regardless of the team's recent statement of branding changes and organizational adjustments.

The basis is uncertain what the €30m figure represents. Professional cyclists usually make only a fraction of that sum during their racing years.

In related news, Israel–Premier Tech announced on Monday that the team will undertake a complete rebranding for the 2026 season, distancing themselves from their current Israeli branding after more than a decade.