The international cycling union UCI has tightened the rules for the participation of transgender people. A transgender must submit a certain (low) testosterone value to the women two years before participation in order to be able to start.
The maximum permitted testosterone value has also been halved. That value now corresponds to the value found in the vast majority of the female population.
The previous transition period was twelve months. “Given the important role muscle strength and ‘power’ play in cycling performance, the UCI has decided to extend the transition period,” the governing body said in a statement. The change will take effect on July 1.
The old policy was reconsidered after the commotion surrounding Britain’s Emily Bridges. The 21-year-old track cyclist was not admitted to the British track championship in the omnium event in March of this year after intervention by the UCI.
The British federation then decided in April to suspend its transgender and non-binary participation policies, pending the new UCI rules.