By Carla Jaeger
Transgender cyclists could be banned from some national women’s events in Australia after the sport’s global governing body introduced a blanket ban that prevents them riding in the upcoming Tour de Femmes and Road World Championships.
Some Australian events, such as the Elite Road Race National Championships, are governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which has banned trans cyclists.
The success of transgender cyclist Austin Killips at the Tour of the Gila sparked debate about cycling’s inclusion policy.Credit: Tour of the Gila
However, the ban may not be enforced in all Australian competitions, or at lower levels of the sport. AusCycling confirmed on Monday it would develop its own policy for transgender and gender-diverse athletes for the competitions it governs, acknowledging that it may not match the global stance.
“We do not currently have a specific policy regarding the participation of transgender athletes in cycling events. We will be establishing a working group that will be charged with drafting our policy,” an AusCycling spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the working group would be formed in coming months.
“This is a complex issue, and we want to ensure we take a thorough, well-informed approach. We recognise the importance of aligning with the UCI, but it is also important to have a clear and informed policy of our own across all levels and disciplines of our sport.”
AusCycling’s UK counterpart banned trans cyclists before the UCI, while USA Cycling’s president told cycling publication Velo it is now reviewing its policy.
The UCI ban came a month after the Australian Institute of Sport released its national framework to guide sports authorities on how to assess transgender eligibility in elite settings.
Those guidelines warn that blanket bans – such as the UCI’s – could breach Australia’s anti-discrimination laws.
Instead, the framework emphasises the need for case-by-case assessments of trans athletes, most commonly determined by measuring testosterone levels and analysing athletic performance measures, such as running speed.
These measures are relevant to elite levels only. At a grassroots level, the overwhelming majority of Australia’s sports codes welcome participation regardless of gender identity.
UCI president David Lappartient announced the global ban on Friday, weeks after the body confirmed it was reviewing its previous policy, which required athletes to maintain testosterone levels below 2.4 nanomoles per litre for at least two years.
The review was announced amid mounting criticism, sparked in May when US rider Austin Killips, who is transgender, won the women’s Tour of the Gila, a five-day, 440-kilometre race in New Mexico.
Following the announcement of the ban, Killips expressed her passion for the sport despite a “disappointing end”.
“The unfortunate matter is that I’m one of the figures that pushed the limits of inclusion for this particular moment and a cabal of right-wingers who want nothing but the worst for the world were able to successfully weaponize [sic] it,” she wrote.
The new rules came into effect on Monday, a week before the Tour de Femmes, and a month before the Road World Championships.
However, the ban was announced with a caveat that the rules could change as new research emerges. One of the sticking points to ensuring cohesion across – and within – sporting codes is the lack of scientific understanding about the performance of elite transgender athletes.
Lappartient said cycling was inclusive and supported gender expression, but had a duty to ensure its competitions were fair.
“It is this imperative that led the UCI to conclude that, 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, as a precautionary measure, to authorise the former to race in the female categories,” he said.
The announcement also pointed to the lack of scientific research: “It is also impossible to rule out the possibility that biomechanical factors, such as the shape and arrangement of the bones in their limbs, may constitute a lasting advantage for female transgender athletes.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.