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Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada has revealed he faces a substantial legal demand totaling €30 million by his previous squad, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team. This comes after his choice to terminate his agreement based on what he described as "deeply held convictions."

Departure Before Key Event and Key Motivations

Gee, aged 28, after placing fourth in the general classification at this year’s Giro d’Italia, departed from Israel-Premier Tech just prior to September’s Vuelta a España. The event experienced widespread pro-Palestinian protests connected with Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

"I terminated my contract with just cause, which is anyone's entitlement when they are unable to continue performing their work in the current situation," Gee explained in a social media post.

He noted that his choice was carefully considered and came after 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 conscience, he added.

Official Stance and Legal Proceedings

The team told Reuters they could not to provide a statement on the matter since the dispute is now with the arbitral board of cycling's governing body, the international cycling union. Reuters also reached out to the governing body for comment.

Gee admitted that leaving Israel-Premier Tech meant being without an agreement or protection in case of injury, but stated this was a chance he accepted since he was unable to continue racing for the team.

Substantial Demand and Rebranding News

"I understand the team sees it differently," Gee went on. "However, I am now facing 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 expressed that this situation strengthens my belief that leaving the team was the right decision, regardless of the team's recent statement of branding changes and cosmetic structural shifts.

The basis is uncertain what the €30m figure represents. Riders typically earn just a small portion of that sum throughout their careers.

Separately, Israel–Premier Tech announced on Monday that they will undertake a full rebrand starting in 2026, moving away from their current Israeli branding following over ten years.