Policy VII

USA Cycling has a policy of diversity and inclusion, as set forth in the USA Cycling Code of Conduct and Bylaws.

Bylaws, Article D, Section 2: 

Members shall have an equal opportunity to participate in bicycle racing without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Code of Conduct, Section 2, Part F:

The following shall be considered violations of the USA Cycling Code of Conduct:

(f) Discrimination in violation of USAC Bylaw D or Section 220522(a)(8) of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which requires USA Cycling provide an equal opportunity to amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, mechanics, administrators, and officials to participate in amateur athletic competition, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, or national origin.

USA Cycling is committed to ensuring that all USA Cycling members have equal access and opportunities to participate in cycling events in a manner that is fair to all competitors while preserving the integrity of the sport and respecting international competition regulations. USA Cycling therefore adopts the following Transgender Athlete Participation Policy (“Policy”).

The term 'Transgender' is used in this Policy to refer to individuals whose gender identity (i.e. how they identify) is different from the gender assigned to them at birth.

Non-Elite Competition

At non-elite competition levels, a member may self-select their gender. Members who transition to a gender different from their gender on file with USA Cycling should contact USA Cycling to be placed in a class and category appropriate for that person’s racing resume and experience. Members will be subject to the mandatory upgrade policy, and USA Cycling may re-categorize a member based on results achieved after a change in gender identity. This policy may be used to either downgrade a member who is not able to compete in a higher category, or to upgrade a member who shows exceptional results in a given category outside of normal upgrade regulations.

In the event that a question should arise about a member’s eligibility to participate in a manner consistent with their gender, any member may file a grievance with USA Cycling following the procedures described in USA Cycling’s Policy III. In such a situation, criteria that may be used to determine a member’s eligibility in a chosen gender include evidence of one or more of the following:

• Does the member’s gender in their “everyday life” match their specified racing gender?

• Has the member obtained civil documents with their racing gender identified (i.e. state I.D., driver’s license, birth certificate)?

• Attestation of gender identity from a medical professional.

• Attestation of gender identity from a certified counselor, public official, school administrator, or other academic advisor.

• Compliance with UCI guidelines (below).

Elite Competition

At elite competition levels, members may have the opportunity to participate in International Competitions. For purposes of this Policy, International Competition means “competition sanctioned by the UCI or competition taking place outside the United States in which USA Cycling’s competition rules do not apply,” including any event for which UCI points are awarded. Such members may be subject to the policies and regulations of the UCI and International Olympic Committee (IOC). Therefore, USA Cycling follows the UCI Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes at these elite competition levels, which are defined by a member’s USA Cycling category as indicated below.

The UCI revised its Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes effective July 1, 2022, which may be found in Chapter 5, Part 13 Medical Rules of the UCI regulations. The main points of the regulations are:

1. Those who transition from female to male (FTM) are eligible to compete in the male category upon providing a written and signed declaration acceptable to the UCI Medical Manager. It is the responsibility of athletes to be aware of current WADA/USADA policies and to file for appropriate therapeutic use exemptions.
2. Those who transition from male to female (MTF) are eligible to compete in the female category under the following conditions:

1. The athlete has declared that their gender identity is female.
2. The athlete must demonstrate that their total testosterone level in serum has been below 2.5 nmol/L for a period of at least 24 months.
3. The athlete's total testosterone level in serum must remain below 2.5 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.

For a detailed examination of the requirements, athletes should review Chapter V, Part 13 of the UCI Regulations.

Definition of Elite

For purposes of this policy, USA Cycling considers elite competition levels to include members competing at or above the following category thresholds in that member’s self-selected gender:

• All members of UCI registered teams are considered to be in the Elite category. For events on a UCI calendar, any UCI regulations or policies take precedence over USA Cycling’s policy.
• Collegiate races and categories are considered non-elite. However an athlete’s non-collegiate racing category will take precedence when establishing gender and elite versus non-elite status for the purposes of this policy.
• Riders who wish to set a UCI recognized World Record or Best Performance must meet Elite guidelines.
• Riders who compete outside of the United States and are subject to UCI regulations or the regulations of the National Federation where they are competing.

Guidance and Instruction

Members seeking to adhere to the Policy should submit the appropriate declarations to the UCI Medical Manager, along with any appropriate consents, waivers, and medical history or other evidence required to demonstrate eligibility. This must be provided at least six weeks in advance of an event in which the athlete seeks to compete in another gender. In addition, each Member must have a valid UCI ID generated by USA Cycling prior to submission. Information on how to apply for UCI ID may be found here.

If requirements are met, the UCI Medical Manager will issue a written certification of eligibility, which should be presented to USA Cycling.

Monitoring

Compliance with the Policy may be monitored by USA Cycling. The UCI may also monitor compliance and investigate eligibility as set forth in their policy. Any member who cannot meet the criteria outlined in this Policy will have their case analyzed on an individual basis and may be re-categorized by class, category or gender.

Confidentiality and Privacy

The legitimate privacy interests and the medical privacy of transgender athletes should be preserved. Any discussions involving the gender identity of an athlete and any required written supporting documentation will be kept confidential, unless the athlete makes a specific request otherwise. All information about an individual athlete’s gender identity and medical information, including physician’s information provided pursuant to this Policy, shall be maintained confidentially. USA Cycling will not retain any written documentation or test results that may be provided in accordance with this Policy beyond the period needed to make any required determinations.

The USA Cycling Technical Director is available to address any questions you may have with the policy and may be reached here.

You can find the UCI policy in their regulations under Part XIII Medical Rules here.

The UCI Medical Manager may be contacted here.

Revised 4/19/2023