Cycling Organization Bans Trans-Identifying Men From Women’s Bike Races

The world governing body for sports cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), banned trans-identifying males from competing in women’s cycling races on Friday.

The new policy reverses UCI’s previous policy that allowed men to compete in women’s sports if they had a plasma testosterone level below 2.5 nanomoles per liter for two years. The ban takes effect Monday.

“[UCI] has a duty to guarantee, above all, equal opportunities for all competitors in cycling competitions,” UCI President David Lappartient said in a statement. “Given the current state of scientific knowledge does not guarantee such equality of opportunity between transgender female athletes and cisgender female participants, it was not possible … to authorise the former to race in the female categories.”

The new policy will apply to any male who underwent puberty, regardless of how long they have taken hormones or how low their testosterone is. Trans-identifying males will still be able to compete, but they will be placed in the men’s category, which UCI renamed to “Men’s/Open.”

Despite UCI’s citation of the “state of scientific knowledge,” the organization left the door open for another policy reversal “as scientific knowledge evolves” and said it would look at financing research to study the effects of cross-sex hormones on athletes’ performance. (Read more from “Cycling Organization Bans Trans-Identifying Men From Women’s Bike Races” HERE)

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