Controversy after a transsexual cyclist’s victory in a women’s event

austin killips he won the Gila Tour in New Mexico on Sunday. The 27-year-old runner won the fifth and final stage of the race and she became the first transgender cyclist to win an official UCI stage race.

his success has revived the debate over the participation of transsexual athletes in women’s eventsa proposal defended by the world’s highest cycling body.

Unlike track and field, the UCI allows transgender cyclists to compete in women’s races, drawing criticism from Americans like the former Olympian Inga Thompson, who declared that this decision was “killing women’s cycling”.

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Thompson pointed out on Twitter a poll conducted last year by a major cycling union showed that more than 90% of professional female cyclists were against in races against transgender athletes, but said their voices are not being heard.

The Telegraph reports that the Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA), which represents male and female riders, it conducted a survey of its female members before making allegations to the UCI over the matter.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the UCI said: “The UCI recognizes that transgender athletes may wish to compete in accordance with their gender identity.”

“The UCI rules are based on the latest scientific knowledge and are constantly applied. The UCI continues to follow the evolution of scientific discoveries and may change its rules in the future as scientific knowledge evolves.”

The UCI tightened its rules last year so that transsexual women could compete in its eventshalving the maximum allowable testosterone level in plasma to 2.5 nanomoles per liter and doubling during the transition to 24 months.

Killips, who started racing in 2019, said Monday that he had been the subject of a “week of nonsense” on the internet.

“I love my teammates and competitors and I’m grateful for every opportunity I get to learn and grow as a person and an athlete on the course together,” he said on Instagram.

British Cycling changed its rules last year to ban transgender women from participating in elite races, pending a full review.