Transgender cyclist Austin Killips has finished in first place in the women’s category in the Tour of the Gila.
Killips broke free from the pack late in the final stage of the tour in New Mexico, clocking in at 3:07:16 in a time that saw her take the top spot on the podium ahead of Marcela Prieto and Cassandra Nelson by a margin of 89 seconds.
The elite-level road race came with whopping prize money of $52,000 for first-place.
With the focus on transgender women competing against biological females taking centre stage across the globe, Killips took some heat on social media for the victory, Fox News reports.
The 27-year-old was fully sanctioned to compete in the event under the rules set by cycling’s governing body, UCI.
The situation has created a storm of controversy surrounding the sport’s rules.
The high profile ‘I Heart Bikes’ Twitter account received 3000 likes for a post on the subject: “It’s a historic day. For the first time, a man has won the @UCI_cycling women’s @TouroftheGila. Thank you @AmyD_Foundation for making this possible”.
The same Twitter account said the situation was “insane”.
Former world champion cyclist Alison Sydor also tweeted: “The current UCI rules that allow males to compete in female cycling events are not fair to female athletes.
“Time for UCI to admit this current rule situation is unsustainable and leaving a black mark on cycling as a fair sport for females.”
Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies — who last month called for a boycott of Nike over the apparel giant’s decision to use transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its sportswear for women — also hit out at Killips’ inclusion in the category.
“This is beyond disappointing,” Davies told The Daily Mail.
“Those in charge should hang their heads in shame. The UCI is not fit for purpose.”
The criticism towards the cyclist, the tour and UCI turned into social media abuse in many cases.
While the event turned into social media storm, there were no public complaints from Killips’ rivals Prieto and Cassandra Nelson.
Killips’ emergence on the cyclocross circuit was part of the reason Hannah Arensman, a 35-time winner on the national cyclocross circuit, retired from the sport recently.
Arensman’s protest towards transgender cyclists competing in the women’s category made it all the way to the supreme court in the United States.
“I was born into a family of athletes. Encouraged by my parents and siblings, I competed in sports from a young age, and I followed in my sister’s footsteps, climbing the ranks to become an elite cyclocross racer,” her message read.
“Over the past few years, I have had to race directly with male cyclists in women’s events. As this has become more of a reality, it has become increasingly discouraging to train as hard as I do only to have to lose to a man with the unfair advantage of an androgenized body that intrinsically gives him an obvious advantage over me, no matter how hard I train.
“I have decided to end my cycling career. At my last race at the recent UCI Cyclocross National Championships in the elite women’s category in December 2022, I came in 4th place, flanked on either side by male riders awarded 3rd and 5th places. My sister and family sobbed as they watched a man finish in front of me, having witnessed several physical interactions with him throughout the race.
“Additionally, it is difficult for me to think about the very real possibility I was overlooked for an international selection on the US team at Cyclocross Worlds in February 2023 because of a male competitor.
“Moving forward, I feel for young girls learning to compete and who are growing up in a day when they no longer have a fair chance at being the new record holders and champions in cycling because men want to compete in our division. I have felt deeply angered, disappointed, overlooked, and humiliated that the rule makers of women’s sports do not feel it is necessary to protect women’s sports to ensure fair competition for women anymore.”
She said in her last race, in the elite women’s division of the UCI Cyclocross National Championships in late December, she “came in 4th place, flanked on either side by male riders awarded 3rd and 5th places.”
“My sister and family sobbed as they watched a man finish in front of me, having witnessed several physical interactions with him throughout the race,” she wrote, in a statement also shared by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS).
“Additionally, it is difficult for me to think about the very real possibility I was overlooked for an international selection on the US team at Cyclocross Worlds in February 2023 because of a male competitor.”
Despite the storm, Killips and her team have been celebrating the victory.
Killips wrote on Instagram: “This win was possible thanks to the community and connections I’ve been fortunate enough to build over the years through bikes.
“After a week of nonsense on the internet I’m especially thankful to everyone in the peloton and sport who continue to affirm that Twitter is not real life.
“I love my peers and competitors and am grateful for every opportunity I get to learn and grow as a person and athlete on course together.”
Julie Kuliecza, the team director of Killips’ sponsor – Amy D Foundation – said afterward, via Cycling News: “We really wanted to get into a break.
“We thought that there was going to be something that would go right after the second sprint point, and we wanted a rider in that break so that when Austin and the other GC riders came up to it, Austin would have someone to help them and protect them, and it worked out perfectly.”
— with foxnews.com
