CNN —Cycling’s governing body – the UCI – has defended its transgender policy after Austin Killips won overall victory in the recent Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. Killips is the first openly transgender woman to win an official UCI women’s stage race, according to the Tour of the Gila website. Killips also won the Queen of the Mountains polka dot jersey, which is awarded to the best climber. “The UCI acknowledges that transgender athletes may wish to compete in accordance with their gender identity,” the governing body said in a statement sent to CNN on Wednesday. Among the critics of Killips’ victory on Sunday was former Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson, who said on Twitter that the UCI is “effectively killing off women’s cycling” with its policy on transgender athletes competing in women’s categories.

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