Austin Killips, a controversial transgender cyclist, won a North Carolina race by a huge margin of five minutes, prompting the runner-up to claim that her ability was “not comparable” and call for a special category for trans athletes.
Austin Killips, 27, who just recently made history by becoming the first openly transgender woman to win a UCI stage race, took home $5,000 after easily winning the 131-mile Belgian Waffle Ride in Hendersonville on Saturday, according to Cycling News.
In the women’s competition, Killips, who self-identifies as female, quickly claimed the lead before Paige Onweller momentarily passed her.
In the end, Killips took the lead and outlasted her by five minutes. Flavia Oliveira came in third place.
Martina Navratilova, a legendary tennis player who recently attacked Killips for winning a race in New Mexico, tweeted in response to the most recent victory, “What a joke.”
“I am just really proud to lay it out there and get the result”: Austin Killips
In a post-race interview, Killips described the “grueling effort” to emerge victorious.
“I am just really proud to lay it out there and get the result. I asserted myself and was able to get a gap early,” she said.
“We were kind of all riding together for quite a while and, you know, I have a cross background and I am going to attack these single-track sections as hard as I can and did that. I hammered [it] and was able to stay clear,” Killips added.
Onweller offered a diplomatic description of the race.
“Most of the day it was riding the top three women who were together, me Flavia, and Austin. But yeah, I just kind of couldn’t match, you know, Austin and some of the single track and the power … just not comparable,” she said in an interview after the event.
“So kinda got gapped maybe 50 miles from there was kind of alone a lot of the time. Had a couple of guys ride with and yeah, it’s kind of settled in and kept motoring and yeah, I got second,” Onweller said.
Nevertheless, she said in a blog post that she wished “to address the various complaints surrounding the women’s podium at this event.
A transgender athlete won the women’s overall, which has caused some controversy. For those following women’s road cycling, you are aware of the UCI rule that this is currently allowed,” Onweller wrote.
“Rather than sharing my personal opinions about the UCI rule, I think it’s most important to recognize that all athletes, no matter how they identify, should have a space to compete and race. Additionally, underneath all helmets is a face and a person who deserves respect, dignity and a safe space to ride bikes,” she continued.
“In the future, I feel a separate category may be appropriate but event promoters are also learning what is best to preserve both female cycling while also creating an inclusive space for all to ride,” Onweller added.
After Navratilova’s tweet, the UCI, which had previously defended Killips, reversed its position and announced that it would examine its policies regarding trans athletes and “analyze the current situation,” with a new decision anticipated in August.
Hannah Arensman, a 35-time champion, has announced her retirement from the sport in part because of Killips’ rise to prominence on the cyclocross circuit.
At the UCI Cyclocross National Championships in December 2022, Killips was charged with attempting to push Arensman off the track.
