Emily Bridges, a transgender cyclist, accused British Cycling of
�genocide� in an astonishing attack after riders born male were banned
from racing against women in British competitive events.

The governing body�s ruling effectively ends the chances of Bridges
competing at the Olympic Games Paris next year as she will now have to
race in an �open� category alongside men riders.

�Fairness is absolutely a driving factor,� British Cycling�s chief
executive, Jon Dutton, said of the policy affecting only events deemed
competitive by the governing body.

In contrast with complaints from Bridges, who has claimed she has no
advantage over other women racers, some grass-roots riders protested that
protections for women�s sport did not go far enough. Dutton had admitted
non-competitive levels would continue to prioritise �inclusivity� over
fairness.

However, the most outspoken attack came from the most prominent trans
athlete in British sport. In a 651-word statement on her Instagram page,
Bridges said British Cycling was guilty of a �violent act� and said it was
a �failed organisation�.

She wrote: �Does it surprise me that the same organisation funded directly
by a state that ships vulnerable refugees to Rwanda violently clamps down
on any political dissent that they disapprove of, or starves their people?
No, of course it doesn�t.

�The same organisation with actively homophobic coaches, who encouraged
eating disorders and did nothing about any bullying between its riders.
The same organisation where elite riders influence their policy when it
doesn�t fit their entitled and narrow world view, with no ability for
nuance or any desire to question the view that they�ve been told since
birth.�

Despite her outburst, pressure will now intensify on the International
Cycling Union (UCI) to follow suit with global rules. The conclusion of an
international review into transgender athletes is expected in August.

Sharron Davies and other campaigners for better women�s sport said the
domestic governing body deserved credit at elite level for adopting a
similar policy to British Triathlon, which last year became the first
British sport to confirm firmer protections.

However, Davies and grass-roots riders said the policy should have been
extended to all levels. Any club event that is not deemed a registered
race by British Cycling will continue to allow trans women to cycle
alongside females. Included in this category are the community-based
British Cycling-sponsored Breeze women-only bike rides.

These rides were specifically set up as a sanctuary for women and Tessa
McInnes, a lawyer and Breeze cyclist based in the West Midlands, expressed
dismay that her event was not included. �A lot of women are looking for
Breeze rides because they have confidence issues and there can be a very
macho culture in cycling,� she explained. �Then they turn up and find that
there�s a biological male on the ride. The idea was, �If you dare say
anything, you are transphobic�.�

�It�s impossible to find a genuinely female-only amateur competitive
cycling event�
Maria Blower, who represented Great Britain when women cyclists were first
permitted in the Olympics in 1984, said some volunteers for the event were
now resigning over the policy. �We still want to regain the grass roots,�
she said.

McInnes also attacked the lack of provision at grass-roots level. �It is
impossible to find a genuinely female-only amateur competitive cycling
event in the UK at the moment,� she said. �Breeze champions are put in the
impossible position of policing this policy.�

Davies, Britain�s 1980 Olympic swimming silver medallist and a leading
voice for protecting female categories in all sports, added that local
women athletes were �as worthy as elite athletes to fair sport�.

Efforts were made overnight by British Cycling to contact Bridges and an
estimated 10 transgender or non-binary UK athletes who would be affected
by the rules.

�We appreciate this has been an incredibly difficult period,� Dutton told
a press conference. �It�s caused anxiety, uncertainty and distress for
many riders so we have a duty of care to support those people. But in
making a decision, we want to give clarity and direction but also ensure
that anyone that wants to take part in cycling has the ability to do so.�

The rules internationally allow trans women to compete in women�s
categories if they have had reduced testosterone levels of 2.5 nanomoles
per litre for the previous two years. However, last summer, British
Cycling stopped transgender women competing at elite female events while
it conducted a review of its existing testosterone-based policy.

Elite men�s category will be consolidated into the �open� category
�It�s an incredibly emotive and at times divisive subject area,� Dutton
said as he announced plans for a permanent ban. �We have taken many months
to look at probably three areas � first of all, consultation with athletes
affected and the wider cycling community; second, the medical research
that is available at this point in time; and third, a legal viewpoint in
terms of the association with the Equality Act. We�ve made a decision on
the balance of all three to give clarity, to give direction and a clear
way forward for any athletes.

�The key drivers for the two policies are � on the competitive policy,
fairness is absolutely a driving factor. On the noncompetitive policy,
inclusivity is absolutely the driving factor.�

British Cycling expects to have implemented both policies � for
competitive and non-competitive events � by the end of this year. At elite
levels, the implementation of an �open� category alongside a �female�
category means the existing men�s category will be consolidated into the
�open� category.

Policies in cycling, swimming and rowing in recent years have concerned
campaigners most. Austin Killips�s first prize for women at the Tour of
the Gila in New Mexico prompted calls for a rethink on international rules
drafted last year.

Since the UCI�s previous trans policy based on testosterone levels was
announced last year, swimming and athletics have effectively banned from
women�s elite competition any athletes who have gone through male puberty.

Last year, the Government told the heads of UK sporting bodies that �elite
and competitive women�s sport must be reserved for people born of the
female sex�.

Bridges, who set a national junior men�s record over 25 miles in 2018, was
blocked from participating in the women�s British National Omnium
Championship last year after the UCI ruled she was ineligible.

She had been due to compete against Laura Kenny, but the UCI ruled that
the 21-year-old, who began hormone therapy last year to reduce her
testosterone levels, was not compliant.

https://sports.yahoo.com/trans-athletes-banned-elite-women-100000555.html