Women’s Cycling Manager Calls Out Male Competitor in UCI Event

Clear Facts

• Nicola Cranmer, general manager of the Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 women’s cycling team, spoke out after a biological male competed in a UCI women’s race at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic.
• The trans athlete, Amanda Tait, has competed in more than 60 women’s events and recently placed fourth at the USA Cycling Masters and Junior Road National Championships.
• USA Cycling policy allows eligibility based on self-certification and original birth certificate, creating a loophole critics say undermines fairness in women’s competition.

Nicola Cranmer, who has led the longest-running professional women’s cycling team in the world for more than two decades, issued a direct statement defending the women’s category.

She stressed that protecting female athletes requires clear rules applied equally to every competitor.

“I have spent more than 20 years working in women’s cycling and creating opportunities for female athletes, so I feel strongly about protecting the integrity and fairness of the women’s category,” Cranmer said.

“I believe eligibility should be determined by clear, consistent rules established by our sport’s governing bodies, particularly the UCI, and that those rules should be applied equally and transparently to every athlete.”

“The UCI has established specific eligibility requirements for participation in the women’s category, and I believe those regulations need to be respected if athletes are to have confidence in the fairness of their competition.”

“For this individual to compete raises legitimate questions about whether the process was consistent with current UCI policy and how those eligibility requirements were interpreted and applied.”

“Respecting individuals starts with respecting the female category. Every athlete deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and women deserve a protected competitive category in which they can race fairly, safely and with confidence.”

A race official confirmed that all riders must hold valid international licenses checked against UCI records before events.

The official stated that Tait’s license appeared valid under USA Cycling records, and eligibility decisions rest with USA Cycling rather than local officials.

Tait moved from the women’s development category to pro-level competition within 18 months and has now competed in over 60 women’s events.

In June, Tait placed fourth at the USA Cycling Masters and Junior Road National Championships, displacing Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen from the top five.

On August 8, Tait won a women’s race at the Prospect Park Cycling Series in Brooklyn.

USA Cycling’s new policy, effective September 2025, defines female as a person belonging at conception to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell.

Critics note that the policy still relies on self-certification and original birth certificates, which can be exploited in states allowing amended sex markers.

USA Cycling retains sole authority to challenge a rider’s category status, leaving female competitors, team staff, and race marshals without an independent mechanism to contest eligibility on race day.

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