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Professional rider Derek Gee from Canada has revealed he faces a substantial legal demand totaling 30 million euros by his previous squad, the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team. This comes after his choice to terminate his agreement due to what he called "personal beliefs."

Departure Before Key Event and Underlying Reasons

The 28-year-old, who finished fourth in the general classification at the recent Giro d’Italia, left Israel-Premier Tech shortly before September’s Vuelta a España. The event was subject to widespread pro-Palestinian protests connected with Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

"I terminated my contract for valid reasons, which is anyone's entitlement when they are unable to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances," Gee explained on his social media accounts.

He noted that his choice was not taken lightly and came after a broken relationship with the team principal, in addition to major worries about competing for the squad from safety and ethical perspective. These factors weighed heavily on his moral judgment, he mentioned.

Official Stance and Ongoing Case

The team told Reuters they were unable to provide a statement on the matter as the case is now with the arbitral board of the UCI, the sport’s governing body. Reuters has also contacted the UCI for comment.

Gee admitted that leaving the team meant being without an agreement or protection if he were injured, but added it was a risk he accepted as he could no longer keep competing for the team.

Massive Claim and Team Changes

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

He shared that these developments strengthens my belief that departing the squad was correct, 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 just a small portion of that sum during their racing years.

Separately, Israel–Premier Tech announced on Monday that the team would undergo a full rebrand for the 2026 season, distancing themselves from their current Israeli branding after more than a decade.