UCI may reassess rules for transgender and non-binary participation in cycling

David Lappartient, the president of cycling’s governing body, said urgent and co-ordinated action across sports is needed to update the rules for transgender athletes’ participation in elite sport.

The UCI president made his statement following the exclusion of British track cyclist Emily Bridges from her country’s national omnium championships set to take place the weekend of April 2.

Current rules “Probably not enough”

Lappartient started his conversation with the BBC by stating that, while the current conversation stems from Bridges’ case, “this is an issue for world sports,” he says, not just cycling. The conversation ended with an urgent call for international sporting bodies to work together to address the issue.

“We can’t just close our eyes on what is happening and this is something we have to do within the next months,” Lappartient urged. “Clearly this is something we have to put on the agenda of the Association of Summer International Olympic Federation because we can’t solve this alone. We have to work together.”

Rights versus fairness

Between those calls for collective action, the UCI president positioned his organization somewhere between the two sides of the debate. His statements included recognition of transgender athletes’ rights but also acknowledged that opposition to equal participation exists.

“We fully recognize the rights of people to transition, that is an issue of human rights, so of course we are fully behind this,” Lappartient starts. He adds, “We fully recognize the right of transgender athletes to participate in sport.”

He then goes on to raise the issue of fairness in sport.

“I can also really understand from ladies [who] say: ‘OK, we don’t accept this.’ At the moment, the union of women’s riders are completely against this and challenging the UCI. So we are in between.”

“The question is,” he says, “is there a memory from your body from what you were before? Do you have an advantage for this? Do we have a breach of fair competition?”

Five nanomoles per litre

Lappartient added that he thinks the UCI’s current rule, limiting the allowable level of testosterone in female athletes to 5 nmol/l, is not strict enough.

“I believe that maybe the situation we have now, of the rules of five nanomoles per litre, is probably not enough,” he says.

Should the UCI move to tighten the rules for transgender athletes’ participation in the female category, it would be the second time in recent years. In 2019, Lappartient initiated a move to halve the allowable level of testosterone from 10 nmol/l to its current level of 5 nmol/l. The new, stricter rules came into effect in February 2020.

British Cycling initiates call for consistent policy after exclusion of athlete

Bridges was eligible to participate in this weekend’s events under the British Cycling Transgender and Non-Binary Participation policy but was ultimately excluded when BC was informed by the UCI that Bridges was not eligible to participate under UCI’s own rules.

“We have been in close discussions with the UCI regarding Emily’s participation this weekend and have also engaged closely with Emily and her family regarding her transition and involvement in elite competitions,” British Cycling stated in its announcement, adding, “We fully recognize her disappointment in today’s decision.”

“We believe that transgender and non-binary people should be able to find a home, feel welcome and included, and be celebrated in our sport,” British Cycling states. The national sport body went on to call for a “coalition to address transgender and non-binary participation in elite sports.”

“We also understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. For this reason, British Cycling is today calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how we can achieve fairness in a way that maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes.”