The UCI announced that it will reopen consultation with riders and national federations on the subject of transgender athlete participation in cycling events. The decision was made following a recent Management Committee meeting held from May 2-4 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy.
"The subject of the participation of transgender athletes in international competitions was discussed at the UCI Management Committee meeting. The Management Committee decided to analyse the current situation by reopening consultation with the athletes and National Federation. Members, therefore, agreed to debate and take an eventual decision at its next meeting, in Glasgow, in August," the sport governing body said in the statement on Thursday.
"The UCI's objective remains the same: to take into consideration, in the context of the evolution of our society, the desire of transgender athletes to practise cycling. The UCI also hears the voices of female athletes and their concerns about an equal playing field for competitors and will take into account all elements, including the evolution of scientific knowledge."
Cyclingnews reached out to the UCI for additional information regarding who will be involved in the consultations, how the discussions take place, and on what platform, and if there was new scientific knowledge since UCI revised its policy on transgender participation in cycling in 2022, but it declined to comment further.
Transgender women are currently permitted to compete at UCI-sanctioned events in accordance with the sport governing body's policy.
The UCI's most recent guidelines came into effect in June 2022, which stipulate that transgender women athletes must declare that their gender identity is female, demonstrate that their total testosterone level in serum has been below 2.5 nmol/L for a period of at least 24 months, and then remain at 2.5nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the women's category.
The guidelines on transgender participation in Olympic sports are drawn from by International Olympic Committee (IOC), whereby the International Federations’ can structure their own policies, which differ between sports.
World Athletics and World Aquatics have recently announced that transgender women who have gone through male puberty can no longer compete in the female category at international events.
British Cycling suspended its transgender and non-binary participation policy last year, pending a review. However, The Times reported this week that it is now considering a full ban on transgender women competing in women’s races in a new policy scheduled to be published in May. However, the report notes that the policy would also ensure opportunities for transgender cyclists in competition.
The transgender policy in cycling has come under criticism this week after Austin Killips won the overall title at the Tour of the Gila. Her victory was met with a wave of controversy surrounding a nearly polarised discussion about transgender rights in sport, particularly within the US political arena, highlighting the need to build a healthier dialogue between riders, teams and organisations.
The UCI defended its current guidelines while also noting that the rules could evolve along with more scientific research.
“The UCI acknowledges that transgender athletes may wish to compete in accordance with their gender identity," stated the sport governing body on Tuesday.
"The UCI rules are based on the latest scientific knowledge and have been applied in a consistent manner. The UCI continues to follow the evolution of scientific findings and may change its rules in the future as scientific knowledge evolves.”
The UCI Management Committee will debate and make a decision on the subject at the next meeting held at the World Championships in Glasgow held from July 31 to August 2.
