The UCI has followed other sports in banning transgender women from competing in the women’s category in international competitions, including the upcoming UCI World Championships.
The organizers of the Glasgow World Championships highlighted the discrepancy between British Cycling’s policy on transgender participation and the UCI at the May board meeting.
An action point from the minutes of the meeting said: “The Chair is writing to the UCI President on behalf of the Executive Board to take note of concerns about the mismatch in the participation of transgender and non-binary people and the potential impact on the Championships .” This correspondence will be carried out and copied to the Chair of British Cycling.”
Requests for comment sent by Cyclingnews to Glasgow Worlds organizers went unanswered.
The UCI ban begins July 17. The UCI stated it was “necessary to take this measure to protect the female class and ensure equal opportunities”. However, the UCI also acknowledges that the rules may change in the future as scientific knowledge evolves.
The UCI stated that “transgender female athletes who have passed puberty will be excluded from participating in women’s events on the UCI international calendar – in all categories – in the various disciplines.”
For International Masters events such as Gran Fondo, Gravel and the Masters World Championships, the UCI announced that the men’s category will be renamed Men/Open and all athletes who do not meet the conditions to compete in women’s events will be admitted without restriction .
The UCI said the Management Committee noted the state of scientific evidence that does not confirm that at least two years of gender-affirming hormone therapy with a target plasma testosterone concentration of 2.5 nmol/L is sufficient to completely eliminate the benefits of testosterone during of puberty in men.
In an exclusive interview with Cyclingnews in May 2023, David Lappartient said, “Are we in a position today to guarantee fair competition?” I can’t answer no, but I can’t answer yes either.”
In its statement on the ban, the UCI stated: “Given the current state of scientific knowledge, it also cannot be ruled out that biomechanical factors such as the shape and arrangement of the bones in their limbs constitute an enduring advantage for female transgender athletes.”
“The UCI wants to reaffirm that cycling – whether it is a competitive sport, a pastime or a mode of transport – is open to everyone, including transgender people, whom we encourage, like everyone else, to take part in our sport.”
That’s what UCI President David Lappartient said in a statement issued right at the start of the mountain stage of the Tour de France.
“I would also like to reaffirm that the UCI fully respects and supports the right of individuals to choose the sex that conforms to their gender identity, regardless of the gender assigned at birth.
“However, it has a duty above all to ensure equal opportunities for all participants in cycling competitions. Based on this requirement, the UCI concluded that, given the current state of scientific knowledge, it was not possible, as a precautionary measure, not to authorize equal opportunities between transgender athletes and cisgender athletes in races in the female categories.”
The UCI decided to change its rules during an extraordinary meeting of the UCI Administrative Committee on July 5, after a seminar on the participation of transgender athletes was held on June 21.
The UCI also cited a document from its medical director, Xavier Bigard. This can be found here: “The current state of knowledge on the impact of gender-affirming treatment on performance traits in transgender female cyclists,” updated May 2023.