The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has banned transgender women from competing in women's-only races on its calendar, with that ban introduced ahead of the upcoming multi disciplinary World Championships in Glasgow next month.
The UCI's ban follows similar moves in other spots and is set to commence across cycling from July 17th, next Monday. The UCI said it believed it was “necessary to take this measure to protect the female class and ensure equal opportunities”.
However, in announcing the ban on Friday, the UCI also said the rule many change in the future as more information - including from the scientific and health and sports research communities - becomes available.
In a statement on the issue on Friday, the UCI said: "From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in women's events on the UCI international calendar – in all categories - in the various disciplines.
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"For international Masters events - races on the UCI 'cycling for all' international calendar and UCI events - UCI Gran Fondo World Series, UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, UCI Gravel World Series, UCI Gravel World Championships and UCI Masters World Championships - the men’s category will be renamed men/open, and any athlete who does not meet the conditions for participation in women's events will be admitted without restriction.
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"The UCI management committee has taken note of the state of scientific knowledge, which 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 puberty in men.
"In addition, there is considerable inter-individual variability in response to gender-confirming hormone therapy, which makes it even more difficult to draw precise conclusions about the effects of such treatment.
"Given the current state of scientific knowledge, 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.
"Taking these findings into account, the UCI management committee considered the interests of transgender athletes in being able to take part in sporting competitions against those of athletes in the female category, which is considered a protected class. In this context, the UCI management committee concluded, considering the remaining scientific uncertainties, that it was necessary to take this measure to protect the female class and ensure equal opportunities."
The UCI said it had held "an extraordinary meeting" on July 5th at which its management committee "decided to adapt the current UCI rules on the right of female transgender athletes to take part in competitions on the UCI international calendar".
It added the management committee meeting followed "a seminar on the conditions for the participation of transgender athletes in women's cycling events" organised by the UCI on June 21st. At that meeting, the UCI said, the various stakeholders - "transgender and cisgender athletes, experts from the scientific, legal and human rights fields, and sporting institutions" - presented their "respective positions".
