Transfer drama brewing? "Derek Gee heading to INEOS," but Israel-Premier Tech quickly issues stern statement

Gee showed excellent form earlier this year and ultimately finished fourth in the Giro d'Italia. In his preparation for the Tour of Italy, he won the O Gran Camiño, finished fourth in the Tirreno-Adriatico, and ended on the podium of the Tour of the Alps. In the Tour of Italy, he finished in the top 10 five times, which was the basis for an impressive fourth place in the final classification.

After the Giro, which ended on June 1, Gee only rode the Canadian championships. In the time trial, he was beaten by INEOS talent Michael Leonard, but a day later, he managed to win the Canadian championship jersey on the road. The 28-year-old rider from Ottawa was expected to prepare for the Vuelta, but that was not to be, as evidenced by the eight-man Israel-Premier Tech selection without Gee.

The non-selection of the Canadian for the Vuelta could very well be due to an imminent transfer. "We have breaking news this morning, with reports circulating that Derek Gee is leaving Israel-Premier Tech and signing for INEOS Grenadiers. Italian journalist Ciro Scognamiglio also reported this news," reports the usually very reliable Daniel Benson.

"So far, neither INEOS nor Israel-Premier Tech has issued an official statement, and the rider's agent has declined to comment. Gee was left out of the Israel-Premier Tech team for the Vuelta, initially due to a training accident," said the journalist, who also reported that IPT team boss Sylvan Adams did not respond to calls.

A few things would still need to be arranged for a transfer, as Gee is under contract with Israel-Premier Tech until the end of 2028. “However, we heard that talks reached a point in July where the rider was keen to change teams, and INEOS had identified him as one of their main targets in the transfer market,” Benson said.

The news on Friday morning apparently also reached the team itself, as Israel-Premier Tech quickly stated X. “Israel-Premier Tech unexpectedly received a termination notice on Friday, August 9, from the lawyers representing Derek Gee. Gee, who signed a five-year contract extension in 2023 until 2028, was in talks with team management to renegotiate the terms of his current contract,” the statement read.

“Israel-Premier Tech is confident that Gee's contract runs until 2028 and is in talks with Gee's representatives and the UCI to resolve the situation and uphold the contract in question. No further comments can be made at this time,” the team concluded.

An interesting turn of events that will undoubtedly evolve!