The budding Canadian GC star abruptly left the team \u2014 then backed by Israel-Canadian tycoon Sylvan Adams<\/a> \u2014 late last summer, and the drama played out in a war of press releases and legal dealings<\/a> that put his racing future in doubt.<\/p>\n Speaking to journalists Wednesday, Gee wanted to focus on his future<\/a> with Lidl-Trek<\/a> and not dwell on cycling\u2019s messiest divorce that was contested behind closed doors over the past several months.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to exaggerate and say it was fine. It was a very tough period,\u201d Gee said Wednesday. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that\u2019s stuck with me. It hasn\u2019t lingered, and honestly, I feel fresh, motivated, and ready to get back to the peloton.\u201d<\/p>\n If that sounds like a fresh start, it is.<\/p>\n When he went public that he wanted out, Adams countered with a lawsuit<\/a> asking for $30 million in damages, an unprecedented sum in cycling history.<\/p>\n As the case hit the courts and the months ticked by, Gee trained alone, doing what he could to stay in shape, keep his weight down, and his spirits up.<\/p>\n The pressure was sometimes overbearing.<\/p>\n Without really knowing if or when his case would ultimately be resolved, Gee muddled through a legal no-man\u2019s land for months with his racing future uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought I\u2019d have to sit out a whole year. Definitely, I thought at some point it would be resolved, but I was not confident it would be before the end of the season,\u201d Gee revealed.<\/p>\n \u201cI am eternally grateful that it was, especially the timing of it. I don\u2019t think I missed anything on the buildup to 2026.<\/p>\n Gee on split: \u2018I want to leave it all in the past\u2019 Gee spoke Wednesday for the first time to reporters following the high-profile split with Israel-Premier Tech and his equally headline-grabbing deal to join Lidl-Trek.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old is happy to put the whole business behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t have asked for a better landing spot,\u201d he said of his new squad. \u201cThe team\u2019s been really great so far. I can\u2019t wait to get back to racing.\u201d<\/p>\n But before the racing starts, everyone wants to know what happened.<\/p>\n \u201cI rode my bike \u2014 a lot,\u201d Gee said without wanting to rehash the whole drama in the headlines again. \u201cHopefully it\u2019s not too impactful, and we can step back into the season normally.\u201d<\/p>\n Gee confirmed that his arbitration case before the UCI is now settled, a key ruling that cleared the way for him to join Lidl-Trek last week. Details of the settlement have not been publicly released.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a point of clarification, that\u2019s all settled and done. There are no remnants from that left over,\u201d Gee said Wednesday. \u201cThis team is incredibly ambitious, the support is there, and I couldn\u2019t see any downside to joining Lidl-Trek.\u201d<\/p>\n So what was behind one of cycling\u2019s most acrimonious and public breakups? Gee isn\u2019t giving too much away.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, he refused to expand on his reasons behind his departure<\/a>, but insisted in earlier public statements that the split was not about money.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a whole bunch of reasons that, but to be honest, I just want to leave that in the past,\u201d he said when asked by Velo. \u201cThat\u2019s not something I want to get into out of respect for all the parties involved, and it\u2019s best just to leave it in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n A record $30 million lawsuit Cycling\u2019s seen some messy divorces before. Most are over money or leadership responsibilities<\/a>.<\/p>\n None quite packed the mystery and intrigue as Gee\u2019s dramatic decision to abruptly leave Israel-Premier Tech last summer.<\/p>\n His exit coincided with the worst of the horrific Israeli invasion of Gaza that left tens of thousands dead and leveled most of the infrastructure of the Palestinian territory. The Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a would later be engulfed by protesters and demonstrators pouring their anger and indignation toward Israel Premier Tech.<\/p>\n Those protests later led to cascading events that saw Adams extract himself from the day-to-day operations of the team and the departure of its co-title sponsor Premier Tech.<\/p>\n Coming into 2026, the squad has restructured with new partners<\/a> taking over as NSN Pro Cycling Team<\/a>.<\/p>\n The timing of Gee\u2019s decision seemed to suggest that the 28-year-old was upset about the high-profile, pro-Israeli tilt of the team ownership, something that Gee has not directly commented on.<\/p>\n In an interview published Wednesday in El Pa\u00eds, Spain\u2019s leading daily, Gee was equally elusive but hinted there were other reasons behind his desire to change teams.<\/p>\n \u201cI have my own beliefs, like anyone else, but it\u2019s complicated,\u201d Gee told El Pa\u00eds. \u201cThere\u2019s no good way to express your political opinion without being rejected. In the end, I didn\u2019t want to use what was happening in the Gaza Strip as a scapegoat to get out of my contract. I didn\u2019t think it was fair.\u201d<\/p>\n Also speaking to El Pa\u00eds, Gee expressed doubts about his racing future as lawyers on both sides took the case before the UCI\u2019s arbitration panel.<\/p>\n \u201cThese past months have been incredibly stressful,\u201d he told El Pa\u00eds. \u201cThis case has been a constant headache, a process in which I\u2019ve experienced some truly dark days. There were moments when I thought that retirement was a very real possibility, especially given the enormous amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n Ready for a restart at Lidl-Trek The backroom drama overshadowed his recent high-profile move to join Lidl-Trek<\/a>, one of the most active teams on the rider marketplace coming into 2026.<\/p>\n After the arbitration case was settled, reportedly just after the new year, Gee was cleared to sign a contract with a new team. Gee pointed out that earlier reports that he was poised to join Ineos Grenadiers were pure fiction<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThat kind of came out of nowhere. There wasn\u2019t really any substance to that,\u201d Gee said Wednesday. \u201cI was as shocked as anyone to read that.\u201d<\/p>\n The multi-year deal puts the Canadian at the center of the team\u2019s GC ambitions, and even with the arrival of Juan Ayuso, Gee said Lidl-Trek is the perfect place for him to take the next step in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cThe resources here and the expertise are immense,\u201d he said of Lidl-Trek. \u201cThe goal, being on a team like this, is to shoot for the podium. I hope this team can help me take another step.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2171382395-720x480.jpg\"\/)
Gee, shown here at the Canadian races in 2024, is keen to get back to racing. (Photo: Alex Broadway\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2213582672-720x480.jpg\"\/)
Derek Gee is relieved he\u2019s done with the long-running contract dispute. (Photo: LUCA BETTINI\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gee2026trek-1-720x405.jpg\"\/)
Gee is looking forward to getting back to the races. (Photo: Ryan Bodge\/Lidl-Trek\/Special to Velo)<\/p>\n