A transvestite whose continued participation in women's cycling has prompted both outrage and the early retirement of at least one top female athlete won a North Carolina race over the weekend, clearing the finish line nearly five minutes ahead of his top female rival.

Killips, a 27-year-old male cyclist who reportedly only began the "physical process of gender transition" in 2019, claimed first place in the women's race and the corresponding $5,000 prize with a time of 8 hours, 28 minutes, and 7 seconds. Although Killips would not have been able to claim the purse if competing with other men, he managed to beat the top woman, Paige Onweller, by nearly five minutes.

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The Daily Mail reported that by the 13-mile mark, Killips was far out in front of the pack and maintained the lead. His female opponents caught up to him around the 55-mile mark, with Onweller passing him for a brief period, but by the 108-mile, Killips had left his competition in the dust.

Killips attributed his win not to his scientifically established physiological advantages, but to work.

"It was just a grueling effort. 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," said Killips. "We were kind of all riding together for quite 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."

Onweller, the top female in the women's category, said, "It was a drag race from the start since the first selection at Reeb Ranch single track came early at only seven miles into the race with a mostly downhill start. ... The top three women split up around mile 80 through a dirt sector that included numerous rocky sections and what seemed like never-ending switchbacks."

Onweller indicated in a post-race statement, "For those following women’s road cycling, you are aware of the [Union Cycliste Internationale] rule that this is currently allowed. 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."

While Onweller elected not to criticize Killip, she suggested that "in the future ... a separate category is appropriate."

This is not the first time Killips has taken prize money intended for female athletes.

TheBlaze previously reported that Killips won the Tour of the Gila on April 30. He also placed first in the Northampton Cycling Club Hydra Cross Women Category 1/2/3 when competing in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on Sept. 3, and first again in the UCI elite women's category of the Northampton International Cyclocross on Nov. 12.

According to Crossresults.com, Killips has placed in the top three for numerous other races since he began competing against women.

The Telegraph reported that Hannah Arensman, a professional female cyclist from North Carolina, retired from the sport last year at the age of 24 after losing to Killips.

"This has gone on long enough, it has gone far enough. It should never have reached this point, it should never have been allowed. Someone has to take responsibility. This is not fair sport, and the governing bodies, who should have made the rules at the beginning, need to realize it," said Arensman, who indicated Killips had also pushed her during a competition.

The UCI is set to reopen talks in August about whether to allow transvestic men to compete in the women's category.

In a May 4 statement, the UCI indicated at its Glasgow meeting that management committee members will "take into consideration, in the context of the evolution of our society, the desire of transgender athletes to practise cycling. The UCI also hears the voices of female athletes and their concerns about an equal playing field for competitors, and will take into account all elements, including the evolution of scientific knowledge."

Arensman, a 35-time winner in cyclocross racing, said of Killips' participation in particular, "Here was somebody who wouldn’t keep up very well with the elite guys, but who was doing fine keeping up with the elite women. It was dispiriting, knowing that Killips was taking hormones to suppress testosterone. Every woman in these races has trained so hard to be there. There aren’t very many of us. Yes, it’s exciting to receive payouts equal to the men’s, to see the women’s numbers grow. But then to have a biological male jump in and start taking our records? There’s no fairness to it."

A 2021 study published in the journal Sports Medicine revealed that the "performance gap between males and female becomes significant at puberty and often amounts to 10-50% depending on sport. The performance gap is more pronounced in sporting activities relying on muscle mass and explosive strength."

The study, by Tommy Lundberg and Emma Hilton, also highlighted that "the effects of testosterone suppression on muscle mass and strength in transgender women consistently show very modest changes, where the loss of lean body mass, muscle area and strength typically amounts to approximately 5% after 12 months of treatment. Thus, the muscular advantage enjoyed by transgender women is only minimally reduced when testosterone is suppressed."

\u201c\ud83d\udcfd\ufe0f Male pro women\u2019s cyclist Austin Killips talking about his win at the Belgian Waffle Ride gravel race in North Carolina yesterday. He credits his strategy and cx background. \n\n\ud83d\udeb4\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0fLadies: You need to \u201clay it out there and get the result\u201d like Killips! \n\n#SaveWomensSports\u201d

— \ud83d\udeb2 (@\ud83d\udeb2) 1686514667

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