🔗 Share this article Canadian Rider Derek Gee Faces €30m Damages Claim Following Agreement Termination Due to Personal Convictions Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada stated publicly he is confronting a massive damages claim amounting to €30 million from his former team, Israel-Premier Tech. This follows his choice to terminate his agreement based on what he called "personal beliefs." Departure Before Key Event and Key Motivations The 28-year-old, who finished fourth in the general classification at the recent Giro d’Italia, left Israel-Premier Tech just prior to September’s Vuelta a España. The event was subject to extensive demonstrations related to Palestine connected with the conflict in Gaza. "I ended my agreement with just cause, which is anyone's entitlement if they cannot to keep fulfilling their work in the current situation," Gee explained on his social media accounts. He emphasized that the decision was carefully considered and followed a broken relationship with the team principal, in addition to serious concerns related to racing for the team from both a safety and ethical perspective. These issues deeply affected his moral judgment, he added. Team’s Response and Legal Proceedings The team informed Reuters they could not to provide a statement regarding this issue since the dispute is currently before the arbitral board of the UCI, the international cycling union. The news agency also reached out to the UCI for their input. Gee admitted that departing from Israel-Premier Tech left him without a contract or protection if he were injured, but added this was a chance he accepted as he could no longer continue racing with the squad. Massive Claim and Rebranding News "I understand the team sees it differently," Gee went on. "However, I now confront what is described as a financial demand said to exceed around 30 million euros – simply for exercising my fundamental rights as an athlete and a person." He expressed that these developments strengthens my belief that leaving the team was the right decision, despite the recent announcement 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 sum throughout their careers. Separately, the team stated earlier this week that they would undergo a full rebrand for the 2026 season, moving away from their current Israeli branding after more than a decade.