Canadian rider Derek Gee in contract dispute with Israel-Premier Tech

By Canadian Press on August 22, 2025.

TORONTO — Canadian rider Derek Gee, who finished fourth in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year, and the Israel-Premier Tech team find themselves tangled in a contract dispute.

Israel-Premier Tech, co-owned by Israeli-Canadian entrepreneur Sylvan Adams, issued a brief statement saying it had “unexpectedly” received a notice of termination from Gee’s lawyers.

After Gee turned heads in the 2023 Giro, Israel-Premier Tech rewarded him with a new contract through 2028. The team said Friday that Gee had been in discussions about renegotiating that deal.

“Israel-Premier Tech firmly believes that Gee’s contract is valid until 2028 and is engaged in continued discussions with Gee’s representatives and the UCI (the world governing body of cycling) to resolve the situation and uphold the respective contract,” the team statement said.

Gee, who has been linked to Britain’s Ineos Grenadiers team in European reports, declined comment when contacted by The Canadian Press.

Gee was promoted to Israel-Premier Tech’s WorldTour squad from its academy in May 2022

The 28-year-old from Ottawa turned heads in his Giro debut in 2023 when he placed 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, will start the first Grand Tour of his career on Saturday as part of IPT’s team for the Spanish Vuelta.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press