Female Competitive Cyclers Outraged As Transgender Women Overtake Sport: ‘This Is Not OK’

A cyclist called the growing dominance of transgender people in the sport "alarming and disappointing" after a transgender cyclist took first place in a race in New York on Sunday.

The controversial victory comes days after the cyclocross champion announced her retirement from the sport after placing fourth among two transgender women at the UCI National Cyclocross Championship in December.

Cyclist Holly Leveser told Fox & Friends First that she, too, considered quitting her favorite sport after being "forced into unfair competition."

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"I think it's very sad," Laweser said Friday. “When you're young, you look at these models and you think there's no limit to what's possible. You believe that if you train hard enough, if you have the talent and skills, you can become the best. But when you have to compete with men with such a physical advantage, it is no longer realistic.”

News of Tiffany Thomas' victory in New York City over the weekend sparked outrage on social media as the debate about transgender women competing against biological women in high school, college and at the professional level grows.

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Laweser has said that the best female cyclists can never compete fairly against the best biological males, arguing that if it were possible, women would compete alongside men in races such as the Tour de France.

“It's physical strength, enough power to pedal, it's lung capacity, the power you can push yourself with. And this is the training needed to build the foundation for many, many years to come. You develop your skills and talents in the ability to ride a motorcycle. Many men who compete in competitions that require technical skills do not develop those skills over the years, instead relying on sheer strength and power to move quickly."

© Tim de Valais/Getty Images via Corbis. Hanna Arensman competed in 2016. Tim de Waele/Corbis via Getty Images

Hannah Ahrensman, a 35-time national cyclo-cross champion, told the Supreme Court last week that she retired from the sport after finishing fourth among two transgender women.

“My sister and family were in tears watching the guy finish in front of me as they had several physical interactions with him during the race,” Arensman said. "I feel deeply angry, frustrated, ignored and humiliated that those who set the rules for women's sports no longer feel the need to protect women's sport in order to ensure fair competition for women."

Laweser applauded the athletes for publicly expressing their dissatisfaction.

“As I see more and more men competing in women's events, I also see people start talking more and gaining the courage to speak up and tell their stories and say it's not good. Women deserve equality, they deserve a safe place to play.”

USA Cycling states that it is "committed to providing all participants with equal access and the opportunity to participate fairly in cycling events while maintaining the integrity of USA Cycling and adhering to international competition rules."

Ryan Gaidos of Fox News contributed to this report.

Rachel became the first world translation champion, but the contestant stated that the victory was unfair.