Canadian rider says he faces millions in damages over bid to get out of team contract
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Canadian cyclist Derek Gee says he is facing possible damages of more than 30 million euros ($48.6 million) arising from his bid to get out of his contract with the Israel-Premier Tech team.
But he says he plans to continue his fight because he is “simply unable to continue racing for the team.”
The 28-year-old from Ottawa released a statement via social media on Thursday, saying while he can’t comment on “any ongoing proceedings,” he wanted to share his side of the story
“I terminated my contract with just cause, as is every person’s right when they are unable to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances,” he wrote. “This decision was not taken lightly. It followed an irreparable relationship with the team principal, as well as serious concerns related to racing for the team, both from a safety and personal belief standpoint that weighed heavily on my conscience.”
Israel-Premier Tech released a one-paragraph statement when asked for comment on Gee’s message,
“Derek Gee’s contract termination case is currently before the UCI Arbitral Board. For this reason, the team is unable to comment on the matter.”
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the governing body of world cycling.
Israel-Premier Tech has been targeted by protests in recent months.
A Montreal-based human rights group asked Mayor Valérie Plante to bar the team from competing in last month’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal amid the war in Gaza, where aid workers say a famine is unfolding.
Israel-Premier Tech withdrew from three one-day races in Italy due to security concerns while its invitation to take part in the Giro dell’Emilia was withdrawn by organizers.
The team has since announced it is rebranding and “moving away from its current Israeli identity.” It has yet to reveal its new name.
It also says Canadian-Israeli co-owner Sylvan Adams will step back from his day-to-day involvement with the team, instead focusing on his role as president of the World Jewish Congress.
Israel-Premier Tech responded to a notice of termination from Gee’s lawyers in August by saying the Canadian had been in discussions about renegotiating the deal signed after he turned heads in the 2023 Giro.
The team maintains Gee’s contract remains valid, saying the dispute is now in the hands of the UCI and legal representatives to resolve
Gee denied money was behind his actions.
“I understand the team see it differently and that this will be for the competent authorities to decide,” he said in Thursday’s statement. “However, I am now facing what I understand to be a damages claim said to exceed 30 million euros — for doing nothing more than exercising my fundamental rights as a professional and as a person.
“These are not the kind of numbers, or the kind of situation, any athlete expects when they dream of becoming a professional cyclist, and I believe it flies in the race of the very values that sport seeks to uphold. These actions are also a reflection of the very issues that led to the breakdown of the relationship to begin with.
“It strengthens my belief that leaving the team was the right decision, regardless of the recent announcement of branding changes and cosmetic structural shifts.”
Founded 11 years ago as the Cycling Academy team, the squad became Israel-Premier Tech four years ago.
The team has extensive Canadian ties other than Adams.
Israel-Premier Tech is also home to Canadian riders Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin, Riley Pickrell and Pier-André Côté. Steve Bauer, the first Canadian to win a stage at the Tour de France, is the team’s sporting manager.
The team’s title sponsor, Premier Tech, is based in Rivière-du-Loup, Que.
Jean Bélanger, president and chief executive officer of Premier Tech, and fellow Canadian Kevin Ham, founder and CEO of Reinvent and Chit Chats Canada, are partners in the team.
Gee was promoted to Israel-Premier Tech’s WorldTour squad from its academy in May 2022.
He made his mark a year later in his Giro debut, placing second four times and fourth twice. Gee eventually finished 22nd in the final general classification standings and was runner-up to Italy’s Jonathan Milan in the points race and France’s Thibaut Pinot in the King of the Mountains standings.
Gee was also honoured as the Giro’s “super combative rider.” He followed that success by finishing ninth overall in the 2024 Tour de France.
Gee is also an accomplished track cyclist, coming fifth in the team pursuit at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Canada’s best Olympic result in the event since 1932. In 2019, he was part of the Canadian squad that finished fourth in the team pursuit at the UCI Track World Championships.
Gee finished fourth in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025