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Cyclist Gee claims ex-team Israel PT seeking millions in damages / Photo: Luca Bettini - AFP
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Cyclist Gee claims ex-team Israel PT seeking millions in damages
Canadian cyclist Derek Gee has claimed that his former team, Israel Premier-Tech, is seeking millions of euros in damages from him after he left them due to his "personal-belief standpoint".
Gee, who finished fourth at the Giro d'Italia earlier this year, left the Israel PT team, which has been targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters in recent races, just before the Vuelta a Espana grand tour, which began in August.
Now he claims that the team owned by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams -- a self-appointed ambassador to Israel, which has spent two years fighting Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza -- is seeking damages of around 30 million euros ($34.7 million) from Gee.
"I terminated my contract with just cause, as is every person's right when they are unable to continue performing their work under the existing circumstances," Gee said in a statement posted on social media.
"The decision was not taken lightly -- it followed an irreparable relationship with the team principal, as well as serious concerns related to racing for the team, from both a safety and personal-belief standpoint."
It was not clear from Gee's post how the team were claiming damages as he said that it was now up to the sport's global governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI), to rule on his case, rather than an employment tribunal.
Neither did he elaborate on his personal beliefs.
Several stages of the Vuelta were disrupted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
That led to fears over the safety of cyclists, as protesters had caused two crashes during the Vuelta.
The Spanish government had called for Israel PT to be kicked out of the Vuelta and has also called for Israel to barred from international sports over what it deems to the country's "genocide" in Gaza.
Israel PT -- which is privately-owned -- was excluded from two Italian races in the last week and has reached a "mutual agreement" with organisers RCS Sport of this weekend's Giro di Lombardia -- the final of five Monument events this season -- not to compete.
The team also announced on Monday that they would change their name to move away from an "Israeli identity".
After two years of war in Gaza that has left the territory decimated, US President Donald Trump announced late on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace plan.
K.Sosa--HdM
