MANCHESTER, England ~A new transgender and non-binary participation policy was issued by the governing body of British Cycling on Friday. According to this policy, riders who were assigned the male gender at birth will not be allowed to compete in elite female races hosted by British Cycling.
Transgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals, and those whose sex was assigned as male at birth will all be eligible to race in the “open” category under the new regulations that are going to be introduced for competitive events this year. These new rules are going to be applied such that racing will be split into “open” and “female” categories.
The current men’s division will be merged into the open category, which would allow those whose gender identity was determined at birth to be female to also compete in the category if they so choose.The revised policy is the product of a nine-month evaluation that involved a consultation process with riders and stakeholders, including members of Britain’s squad.
Additionally, a study of available medical research led by Dr. Nigel Jones, the chief medical officer of British Cycling, was conducted as part of the review. According to the findings of that research, individuals who go through puberty as boys have a distinct performance advantage, which cannot be reduced to its full extent through the use of testosterone suppression.
There is not yet an established date for the new regulations to be put into effect; British Cycling has stated simply that it will be before the end of the year. This is to give time for adjustments to be made to the technical regulations and for conversations with the UCI, which is cycling’s world governing body, regarding the implementation of the new laws.
A transgender woman from the United States, Austin Killips, was able to win the Tour of the Gila, which took place in New Mexico earlier this month. As a result, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is reconsidering its own laws. Those individuals whom it was determined at birth that they would be female as well as transgender guys who have not undergone hormone therapy will continue to be classified as female.
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