Gee began his professional career with the UCI ProTeam in 2023, stepping up from its Israel Cycling Academy development squad.<\/p>\n
![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zw-photography-giro-ditalia-2023-stage-19-03142.jpg\" "\\"Derek")
Derek Gee and Alex Baudin, stage 19, 2023 Giro d\u2019Italia (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n
After a breakthrough ride at the 2023 Giro d\u2019Italia, where he finished second on four stages, he has since gone on to become one of the team\u2019s most successful riders.<\/p>\n
He won a stage at last year\u2019s Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 before finishing ninth at his debut Tour de France later that summer, and taking a stage and the overall at O Gran Cami\u00f1o in Spain earlier this year.<\/p>\n
He also finished fourth overall at the Giro d\u2019Italia in May, and was expected to lead Israel-Premier Tech\u2019s GC charge at this month\u2019s Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, but was surprisingly left out of the team\u2019s line-up for the Spanish grand tour.<\/p>\n
That decision began to make more sense last week, after Israel-Premier Tech announced that Gee had told the team that he was cancelling his contract and leaving with immediate effect on 9 August, two weeks before the Vuelta\u2019s start in Turin.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsrael-Premier Tech firmly believes that Gee\u2019s contract is valid until 2028 and is engaged in continued discussions with Gee\u2019s representatives and the UCI to resolve the situation and uphold the respective contract,\u201d a statement issued by the team read.<\/p>\n
![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zw-7732.jpg\" "\\"Derek")
Derek Gee, stage 20, 2025 Giro d\u2019Italia (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n
Gee remained silent on the matter throughout the weekend, sparking speculation about the reasons behind his decision, but on Monday posted a statement on social media confirming that his contract with Israel-Premier Tech \u201chas been formally and duly terminated by my legal representatives\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was not an easy decision, but one I made after careful consideration and for legitimate reasons. Certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable,\u201d Gee said.<\/p>\n
Gee\u2019s decision to leave Israel-Premier Tech mid-contract has fuelled speculation, first reported by Daniel Benson<\/a>, that he is heading to the Ineos Grenadiers, where former team principal Dave Brailsford has returned to lead a new recruitment drive ahead of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n However, the Canadian national champion insisted in his statement that he has not yet spoken to any team about a deal for next year.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to make it very clear, despite some current reporting, this decision solely concerns the termination of my previous contract with Israel-Premier Tech. In accordance with UCI regulations, I have not yet signed with, nor even spoke to, any new teams,\u201d the 28-year-old said.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish to send a heartfelt thank you to the staff and riders I had the privilege of working with in my time in the organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n Following Gee\u2019s post, Israel-Premier Tech has issued its own statement, doubling down on its insistence that the Canadian remains part of the team, teeing up a messy and protracted legal battle that could potentially make it all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael-Premier Tech remains firm in its stance that Derek Gee\u2019s contract with the team is valid,\u201d the team said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe situation is now in the hands of the UCI and legal representatives to resolve. No further comments can be made.\u201d<\/p>\n While Gee\u2019s reasons for leaving the squad have remained deliberately vague, his early exit comes after two former Israel-Premier Tech riders described leaving the squad as a \u201crelief\u201d, due to Israel\u2019s ongoing war in Gaza.<\/p>\n Last week, Danish pro Jakob Fuglsang, who retired earlier this year after spending the last three and a half years of his career with the team, recently said it was \u201cdefinitely nicer to ride without an Israel logo than with it\u201d<\/a>\u00a0while\u00a0reflecting on his departure after protests at major races this year, including\u00a0the Tour de France, targeted the team\u2019s presence in the peloton<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Derek](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zw-9021.jpg\" "\\"Derek")
Derek Gee, stage 11, 2024 Tour de France (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n