A recent controversy has erupted in the competitive cycling world after a transgender athlete won a women’s national championship race in Wisconsin. Competitors alleged that they were kept in the dark about the participation.
Kate ‘KJ’ Phillips claimed victory in the 55-and-over women’s race on Monday. However, the win has sparked allegations that USA Cycling failed to properly disclose Phillips’ participation to other competitors beforehand. Phillips, a biological male who previously competed in rugby, competed under the organization’s transgender athlete policy.
The most vocal critic has been Debbie Milne, a 27-time Masters national champion who traveled 13 hours from Greenville, South Carolina, and spent $400 to compete in the event. Milne, who finished seventh, claims she was unable to locate Phillips’ name on the registration beforehand and believes the organization acted deceptively.
“I should have been able to see it. I should have been able to look someone up and decide if I’m even going to make the trip until they get the policies worked out,” Milne told the Daily Mail.
The 56-year-old sports dietician emphasized the scientific basis for her concerns, stating, “I’m a board certified sports dietician. It’s been established that there’s a biological advantage if someone is born male.”
The controversy deepened when Julie Peterson, who finished second in the race, chose to boycott the podium ceremony in protest.
During the race itself, Milne described witnessing what she called Phillips’ “unbelievable strength.” She recounted the decisive moment: “I started my sprint, and right at the key point for me, I almost made it to the line and [this] KJ, blew past me, blew past me, and that’s when all the women began to say, like, ‘Hey, I know this person. This person actually was born a biological male’.”
Phillips has previously defended her participation in women’s competitions. In comments on a cycling profile last year, she argued that “exclusionary rhetoric actually hurts women’s cycling… it perpetuates patriarchy and misogyny.”
Phillips also highlighted her long history in competitive sports, writing: “I have been competing in sports for longer than many other women, 20 years within the IOC guidelines (yeah, I was the 1st US trans athlete under the 2004 IOC rules when I played rugby; I am way proud of that).”
The transgender athlete attributed recent opposition to broader cultural tensions, suggesting that “the uptick in pushback came when gay marriage was no longer the issue de jour” and that critics “just can’t stand seeing change.”
USA Cycling’s current transgender policy, updated last year, divides athletes into two groups with different requirements. Group A athletes competing at higher levels must undergo an “elite athlete fairness evaluation” reviewed by an independent medical panel and meet specific testosterone thresholds. Group B athletes need only submit a “self identity verification request.”
National championships like the Wisconsin race are classified as Group A events, meaning Phillips theoretically would have needed to meet the stricter requirements.
Despite the controversy, Milne was careful to distinguish her position from personal animosity. “Every person has value,” she insisted, emphasizing that she is not “hateful” but believes in creating separate competitive categories.
“I want them to feel included, but I think that they need a separate playing field, like a category, you know, a person who wants to race as a woman that was born a biological male,” Milne explained. “If we truly are giving them respect, I would say you can’t erase the fact that you were born a biological male. That can’t be undone, but you deserve a right to be included in this process of racing your bikes.”
Milne said she has previously competed against transgender athletes before current policies were established. She emphasized her inclusive approach: “I’ve included them, spoken with them, raced with them, and treated like everyone else. Got mad at them the same I would as any other racer if they cut me off or whatever, I check on them when they crash.”
However, she maintains that competitive fairness requires separate categories: “I think that it’s not fair to a woman who wasn’t born with that same advantage. So I want to be in every way is absolutely inclusive to every individual, but I wanna have a separate playing field where it’s fair.”
Milne has recently connected with the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) and says she will not compete again until USA Cycling addresses what she sees as transparency issues. Meanwhile, race organizers have not provided explanations for the registration concerns raised by competitors.
