Emily Bridges previously set a national junior men’s record over 25 miles and was selected to join British Cycling’s senior academy in 2019
Two female cyclists claim that transgender athletes are still competing in British Cycling women’s events.
The cyclists who spoke to BBC Sport are both British number ones in their respective categories and race at a national level.
They say they have lost out on ranking points and prize money to trans women.
However, British Cycling said that when it suspended its current policy in April it only applied to new applicants for racing licences.
British Cycling says it is currently conducting a full review of the policy.
One of the cyclists who spoke to BBC Sport said: “I felt totally destroyed because I should have – as a biological woman – have that place on the podium.
“I felt like a trans competitor, after going through male puberty, would have that advantage over me and I couldn’t possibly ever compete with that person.”
Both women have written to British Cycling over this issue.
Another of the cyclists added: “This was a national-level competition. It just felt like the policy wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. So I did make a formal complaint.”
British Cycling said: “Existing licence holders remain unaffected by the suspension of the policy, provided the requirements in place at the time of application were met.”
However, the female cyclists who spoke to the BBC claim there was no mention of this before they complained and it’s not specified in the original suspension statement on the organisations’ official website.
In April British Cycling voted for an immediate suspension of its transgender participation policy, stating that it was “unfair on all women riders”.
It followed the ruling by world governing body the UCI that trans cyclist Emily Bridges would not be eligible to participate in the women’s national Omnium championships.
The UCI stated that Bridges was still registered with them as a male cyclist, and therefore could not compete as a woman. Bridges said the decision had led to “targeted abuse” and that “no-one should have to choose between being who they are and participating in the sport that they love”.
Last week, swimming’s governing body Fina voted to stop transgender athletes from competing in women’s elite events – something Olympic diving champion Tom Daley says he is “furious” at.
The revelation that British Cycling is still allowing trans women to compete against female riders comes in the week the government asked UK sports bodies to follow swimming’s decision in banning trans athletes from women’s categories.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries met with around 15 of sports’ governing bodies on Tuesday and posted a series of tweets. She wrote: “I expect sporting bodies to follow the policy that competitive women’s sport must be reserved for people born of the female sex.”
The government’s position has prompted an outcry from trans allies like Richard Hearne, chairperson of LGBT cycling group Pride Out UK, who told BBC Sport: “Excluding people from the category that they identify as, I feel, is extremely damaging.
“We need to make sure that trans and non-binary people feel welcome in sport at every level. And we would be far richer and a better society for including everyone in the category of sex or gender that they identify as.”
British Cycling is yet to publish its reviewed policy on trans inclusion.
Source by www.bbc.co.uk
