World Cycling: transgender women prevented from competing in female UCI events

World cycling’s governing body, UCI has ruled against transgender women competing in female events and has followed a similar stance to British Cycling. The UCI has said they are seeking to “protect the female class” and says anyone who has transitioned after the male puberty could compete in a ‘men/open’ category.

This decision comes two months after Austin Killips won the UCI Tour of the Gila event which sparked an outcry from certain members of the cycling community. In the wake of this result and subsequent criticism, the world body reopened consultation on the issued saying it heard “the voice of female athletes and their concerns about an equal playing field for competitors.”

Previously, trangender women had been able to compete in elite female events provided they met testosterone-based regulations but the UCI has now brought in the ‘men/open’ category.

The governing body also added that the changes would apply to events on the UCI international calendar, including the Women’s World Tour, World Championships and World Cups across different cycling disciplines.

The UCI has said it has: “taken note of the state of scientific knowledge” in terms of hormone therapy which has said it “does not completely eliminate the benefits of testosterone during puberty in men” and as a result it concluded that action was necessary at an international level “as a precautionary measure.”

The UCI president, David Lappartient, has also said: “Cycling is open to everyone, including transgender people. However, (the UCI) has a duty to guarantee equal opportunities for all competitors.” The body has also acknowledged that rules “may change in the future as scientific knowledge evolves.”