Female transgender athletes who transitioned after male puberty will no longer be able to compete in womenB次元官网网址檚 races, world cycling governing body the UCI said Friday.

The International Cycling Union joined the governing bodies in and as top-tier Olympic sports addressing in this way the issue of transgender athletes and fairness in womenB次元官网网址檚 events.

came after American rider Austin Killips became the first openly transgender woman to win an official cycling event in May.

B次元官网网址淔rom now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in womenB次元官网网址檚 events on the UCI international calendar B次元官网网址� in all categories B次元官网网址� in the various disciplines,B次元官网网址� the international federation said in a statement.

The UCI said the ban, starting on Monday, was necessary to B次元官网网址渆nsure equal opportunities.B次元官网网址�

Killips rode to victory in the fifth stage of the Tour of the Gila, one of the marquee U.S. stage races. Her victory by some cycling fans and former racers despite the 27-year-old athlete having adhered to a policy put in place by the UCI last year requiring transgender athletes to have serum testosterone levels of 2.5 nanomoles per liter or less for at least 24 months before competing in womenB次元官网网址檚 events.

The UCI said Friday it B次元官网网址渉as 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.B次元官网网址�

It also noted the difficulty to B次元官网网址渄raw precise conclusions about the effectsB次元官网网址� of gender-confirming hormone therapy.

B次元官网网址淕iven 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,B次元官网网址� the UCI added.

In May, the UCI B次元官网网址� led by its French president David Lappartient, an International Olympic Committee member B次元官网网址� said it expected to make a decision in August. The newly expanded world championships are being held from Aug. 3-13 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Instead, a decision which the UCI said in a statement was taken at an additional management board meeting held on July 5 was announced Friday B次元官网网址� Bastille Day in France B次元官网网址� during a key mountains stage in the Tour de France.

Despite the ban, Lappartient said B次元官网网址渢he UCI would like to reaffirm that cycling B次元官网网址� as a competitive sport, leisure activity or means of transport B次元官网网址� is open to everyone, including transgender people, whom we encourage like everyone else to take part in our sport.B次元官网网址�

The UCI said its menB次元官网网址檚 category will be renamed B次元官网网址淢en/OpenB次元官网网址� at international Masters events B次元官网网址� which are below elite level for riders aged at least 30 B次元官网网址� adding that B次元官网网址渁ny athlete who does not meet the conditions for participation in womenB次元官网网址檚 events will be admitted without restriction.B次元官网网址�

Lappartient insisted the UCI B次元官网网址渇ully respects and supports the right of individuals to choose the sex that corresponds to their gender identity, whatever sex they were assigned at birth. However, it has a duty to guarantee, above all, equal opportunities for all competitors in cycling competitions.B次元官网网址�

The UCI follows British Cycling in approving a in May, which included plans to split competitive races into B次元官网网址渙penB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渇emaleB次元官网网址� categories. The female category was to remain for those whose sex was assigned female at birth and for transgender men yet to begin hormone therapy.

CyclingB次元官网网址檚 decision closed another competitive route to the 2024 Paris Olympics for transgender athletes. Two years ago, transgender woman competed at the Tokyo Olympics for New Zealand in the womenB次元官网网址檚 over-87-kilogram class.

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