Global cycling board upholds transgender woman winning women's race in New Mexico despite public outrage

A biological male won a women's cycling race in New Mexico, and the outcome was approved by the Union Cycliste Internationale despite outrage from many critics.

Austin Killips won the Tour of the Gila women's cycling race on Sunday.

The 27-year-old had only begun cycling in 2019.

After reviewing the race, the UCI announced that it approved of Killips' victory based on a new rule raising the levels of testosterone allowed in the cyclists.

“The UCI rules are based on the latest scientific knowledge and have been applied in a consistent manner, and continues to follow the evolution of scientific findings,” the organization said in a statement.

The organization added that it may change the rules "as scientific knowledge evolves.”

Former Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson excoriated the UCI over the determination.

"[UCI Cycling] is very effectively killing off women's cycling by allowing this movement. Do they not see the damage they are doing as sponsors talk about leaving the sport because of the controversy caused because UCI fails to lead," Thompson tweeted.

She went on to say that the Tour of the Gila had "removed itself" from the conversation about the transgender cyclist's victory.

"Understandable because the transgender movement in women’s cycling is driving off sponsorship and killing women’s cycling," she added.

Killips was dismissive of the criticism received on Twitter in a statement posted to Instagram.

“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,” Killips posted. “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.”

Some Republican lawmakers have backed legislation meant to keep biological males out of sports designated for females, but critics accuse these laws of being motivated by discrimination and hatred.

Here's more about the controversy:

Transgender woman's US cycling win within rules, Union Cycliste Internationale sayswww.youtube.com

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