Trans-identifying cyclist wins two Oregon women’s races by combined 48 minutes under OBRA rules

A biological male cyclist who identifies as transgender won two Oregon women’s mountain bike races over an eight-day period, one by more than 36 minutes.

Chloë Spritz won the Elite Women’s division at the Silver Falls XC at Silver Falls State Park on May 16. official results Published by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. Spritz finished in 2:16:37. The other Elite Women finisher on the list, Stephanie Taplin, came in second with 2:52:38.

That’s a difference of 36 minutes and one second.

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Eight days later, Spritz won the Elite Women’s division at the OBRA XC MTB Championship Sisters Stampede in Sisters, Oregon. Spritz finished in 1:43:13. The only other contestant on the list in the Elite Women category, Hannah Thomas, came in second with 1:55:29.

That’s another 12 minutes and 16 seconds gap.

And this wasn’t just a local race with no bearing on the championship. OBRA lists the Sisters Stampede as the OBRA XC Mountain Bike Championships, and OBRA’s administrative rules say State Championship medals and jerseys are awarded to annual members only.

To recap: Spritz won the two Elite Women’s races in May 2026 by a combined margin of 48 minutes, 17 seconds over the other racers listed.

But results are only part of the story.

Now comes the policy that makes this possible.

OBRA’s 2026 racing rules For all OBRA-sanctioned events and categories, including OBRA Championships, specify that members may self-select the gender category that best aligns with their everyday gender identity. The rules also extend this policy to non-binary and gender-inclusive members, who can choose the Male/Open or Female category.

In other words, OBRA’s female category is not based on biological sex, testosterone thresholds, or whether an athlete has experienced male puberty. It is entirely based on self-identified gender identity. This is a problem.

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The rules also say that if a member files a complaint, the member must provide evidence that another driver’s gender identity does not match that driver’s daily life, and OBRA will not investigate the member’s gender identity until sufficient evidence is provided.

This does not sit well with female athletes who object on grounds of fairness.

A woman who believes that she should not have to compete against a biological man is not actually discussing biological sex under this rule. The athlete is told to prove that their gender identity is not consistent in daily life.

But the situation is getting worse.

Protesters against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 2026, as two cases involving transgender girls participating in girls’ and women’s sports teams were heard in court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

OBRAs Code of Conduct includes gender identity in its harassment policy. The rules say harassment can include negative or derogatory comments about a participant’s gender identity, list no exceptions, and say harassment violations can lead to discipline, including suspension or expulsion from OBRA.

So female cyclists are put in an almost impossible situation.

They may lose to a biological male in the women’s category. It can be said that the rules allow this. And if they complain too loudly, they run the risk of their objections being framed as harassment.

This is the exact opposite of protecting women’s sports.

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USA Cycling went in the opposite direction. The competition category policy, effective September 15, 2025, says the women’s category is limited to: meets the definition of femaleand a person who is not identified as female at birth is not allowed to participate in the women’s division in USA Cycling-sanctioned competitive events.

UCI is the international governing body of cycling. also moved in July 2023 Banning transgender biological males who have gone through male puberty from competing in women’s events on the UCI International Calendar. The organization said scientific information does not confirm that hormone therapy can completely eliminate the advantages men gain from puberty.

Therefore, national and international governing bodies have become aware of the problem.

Apparently OBRA did not do this.

Demonstrators listen to speakers at the “Our Bodies, Our Sports” rally for the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC on June 23, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

OutKick has covered this cycling-related topic many times. Austin Killips is a biological male. won the women’s race by more than five minutes In 2023, female cyclist Paige Onweller then raised the obvious issue of fairness.

OutKick also plans to launch transgender racers, cycling teams with biological males in 2024, took the first three places In a women’s race in Washington.

Oregon has also become one of the flashpoints in the larger women’s sports debate. OutKick spoke before Oregon high school athlete Lilian Hammond about transgender identification of boys competing in girls’ sports, and the Department of Education subsequently launched a Title IX investigation into Portland Public Schools, OSAA, and the Oregon Department of Education over their gender identity inclusion policies.

Different sport, same subject.

Women’s categories exist for a reason. They exist because men and women are physically different. Female athletes exist because they deserve their own division, their own podium, their own championship opportunity and their own recognition.

Spritz did not violate OBRA’s rules.

So it’s not about one person.

The problem is in the rules.