British Cycling will ban transgender women from the women’s category of its races following a nine-month review and consultation.

The female race would be “those whose gender was assigned female at birth”.

The changes will prevent drivers like Emily Bridges from being part of the British women’s team.

Last year, Bridges – the country’s most high-profile transgender cyclist – was blocked from competing in her first elite women’s race by the UCI, the world cycling federation, despite complying with the rules at the time.

Bridges responded to the statement with a statement on social media, calling the change an “act of violence” by a “failing organization” that “dominated” the conversation about trans inclusion.

She added that the racing world was “dying under its watch” and that British cycling was waging a “culture war”.

British Cycling’s policy allows transgender women to compete in elite women’s events, provided they meet testosterone-based rules.

However, because the Governing Body is at the heart of balancing inclusion and fair debate, its regulations are suspended A review has been launched amid growing controversy over Bridges.

British Cycling says: “Studies show that transgender women who transition after puberty maintain a performance advantage even when their testosterone is suppressed.”

“Our policy has always been developed with the goal of advancing and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, while prioritizing fairness of competition.

“We recognize the impact of suspending our policy on transgender and non-binary people, and we apologize for the uncertainty and anxiety felt by many during this time.”

Trans women will be able to participate in non-competitive recreational and community cycling without restriction.

The new policy will be implemented by the end of the year.

“You have no right to tell me when I’m done” – Bridges responds

In her statement, Bridges criticized the current state of British cycling and its treatment of transgender riders.

“Cycling is still one of the whitest, most direct sports, and you don’t give a damn,” she said. “I agree there needs to be nuanced policy discussions and continued research. That hasn’t happened yet.

“The research was not looked at critically and the relevance of the data to a particular sport was not discussed.

“I’ve given my body to science for the past two years and the data will come out soon.

“Soon there will be actual relevant data, and there will need to be a discussion.” Claiming that discussion of the debate was “inherently political” and “framed by a hate-driven media,” Bridges said she was “afraid to exist.”

She added: “I know a lot of people will think I’m exaggerating, or exaggerating how horrible things are right now. I don’t even know if I want to ride my bike anymore…but you have no right to be Let me know when I’m done.”

What is the background?

Bridges, once a promising contender in the teenage boys’ competition, transitioned in 2020 and began hormone therapy as part of her treatment for gender dysphoria.

She then qualified for elite women’s racing under British Cycling’s transgender rules, which require riders to have testosterone levels below 5 nanomoles per liter in the 12 months before competing.

But her hopes of representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games were dashed when the UCI said days before the 2022 national all-around championships it would only allow Bridges to compete after confirming her eligibility for international competition.

A group of elite female cyclists has called on the UCI to “abolish” its rules on transgender participation, claiming female athletes in the UK are “willing to boycott” events because they are “concerned about the fairness of their sport”.

bridges says She felt “harassed and demonized” and was “not very clear” about her qualifications. She added that she “has no advantage” over her competitors and can back it up with data.

While British Cycling suspended its regulations, the UCI subsequently tightened them, doubling the eligibility period to two years and lowering the testosterone threshold required for transgender female riders to 2.5nmol/L.

But this month, in Austin Killips became First transgender woman to win UCI women’s stage race The world governing body reopened consultations on the issue at the Gila Tour, saying it had “heard the voices of female athletes and their concerns about an equal playing field for rivals”.

‘Lack of research’ – British Cycling boss

Jon Dutton, chief executive of British Cycling, said: “We acknowledge there is a lack of research but can only look at what is available.”

“I believe we have policies in place that ensure fairness in cycling while ensuring that all riders have the opportunity to participate.

“We have always been very clear that this is a challenge much larger than a sport. We remain committed to listening to our communities and monitoring changes in the science and policy landscape to ensure sport is inclusive for all.”

March, UK Athletics also banned Trans women compete in the women’s category at its competitions and events.There are similar actions in the country swim,triathlon and Two codes for football.

Numerous studies have shown that transgender women have cardiovascular and strength advantages over female athletes, even after taking testosterone-suppressing hormones.

Critics of transgender athletes’ participation in some women’s sports argue that it gives them a disproportionate advantage over their peers and limits the opportunities of their competitors.

However, others argue that research in the field is not detailed enough, that the science is unclear, that there are few elite trans athletes, that sports should be more inclusive, and that open categories have been criticized as discriminatory.

British Cycling said its women-only community program “will remain open and inclusive for trans women and non-binary people” who can “continue to participate in a wide range of British Cycling activities based on their gender identity”.