Canadian rider Derek Gee says he is done with Israel-Premier Tech, saying "certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable."
Israel-Premier Tech, meanwhile, insists Gee's contract remains in effect.
The 28-year-old from Ottawa has not detailed his objections. But his short social media post was titled "Statement regarding my absence at La Vuelta and Israel-Premier Tech."
Gee, who finished fourth in the Giro d'Italia earlier this year, is not part of the Israel-Premier Tech entry at the Spanish Vuelta that started Saturday.
Israel-Premier Tech, co-owned by Israeli-Canadian entrepreneur Sylvan Adams, issued a brief statement last week saying it had "unexpectedly" received a notice of termination from Gee's lawyers. The team said Gee had been in discussions about renegotiating the deal signed after Gee turned heads in the 2023 Giro.
"Israel-Premier Tech remains firm in its stance that Derek Gee's contract with the team is valid," the team repeated in a statement Monday. "The situation is now in the hands of UCI and legal representatives to resolve."
The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) is the governing body of world cycling.
Gee said Monday that his contract had been "formally and duly terminated" by his lawyers.
"This was not an easy decision, but one I made after careful consideration and for legitimate reasons," he said.
While Gee has been linked to Britain's Ineos Grenadiers team in European reports, he said: "In accordance with UCI regulations, I have not yet signed with, nor even talked to, any new teams."
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 finished third overall in the storied Criterium de Dauphine in June 2024, winning one stage and finishing in the top 10 in four others. It marked his first WorldTour general classification podium.
Last summer he was 44th in the Paris Olympic road race and was the top Canadian in 20th in the individual time trial.
In September, Gee placed 22nd in the individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich. He did not finish the road race.
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.
Israel-Premier Tech is home to fellow Canadian riders Michael Woods, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin, Riley Pickrell and Pier-Andre Cote. Steve Bauer, the first Canadian to win a stage at the Tour de France, is the team's sporting manager.
Woods, 38, recently announced this season will be his last a pro rider. Cote, meanwhile, is part of IPT's team for the Spanish Vuelta, his first Grand Tour event.
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This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Aug. 25, 2025.
