It's New Year's Day and I'm watching cyclocross from Belgium on TV, the GP Sven Nys. It's one of the classic races - even though it's not a World Cup event it matters, so there are good people on the start line. As the commentary is going through the riders for the elite women, I kind of recognise the name Austin Killips who has a third-row start today. I Google her, as you do, and find the story of a few protesters turning up at a race in the States to complain about her participation.
That's why I remember the name, she's trans, so I try to watch her progress but it's soon a lost cause as Fem van Empel blasts away from the rest and the coverage of what's happening behind gets patchy. Once the dust settles, and it well and truly has when Miss Killips finishes, she's 7:30 behind in only a 50-minute race. No one is complaining. I'll admit that Van Empel was on fire and even Lucinda Brand was at 2 minutes but the American behind by three-quarters of a lap wasn't exactly a threat to the fairness of women's sport I keep reading in the media.
