ICFS calls for UCI to act on trans athletes situation following Austin Killips' Tour of the Gila victory

The International Consortion on Female Sport (ICFS) has published an open letter calling out for change in the UCI so as to "address the unfairness and injustice for female riders that the world is now witnessing in cycling sports."

This comes following the victory of Austin Killips, a female transgender athlete, in the recent Tour of the Gila. Despite being a 2.2 race, the race has received extensive backlash because of Killips taking the victory, with calls going as far as declaring second placed Marcela Prieto the winner. The situation led to Killips restricting access to her social media, and the American race also having to restrict social media activity due to the amount of insulting comments that were launched towards both.

The ICFS consider Killips a male athlete and considers this to "destroys the integrity of the female category," arguing that the number of transgender athletes is increasing in North America, that the testosterone suppression method (which is, at the time being, the main form of control over eligibility to race for these specific athletes) only minimally mitigates the issue.

Whilst several riders have recently been prohibited from racing the Vuelta Femenina due to the Spanish federation's decision over their departure from the Spanish Zaaf Cycling Team over lack of payment, the subject has not been brought up. The ICFS adds that "the inclusion of male cyclists in the female category is unacceptable and must end."