Progressive Women’s Cycling Race Offers Equal Prize to Men’s, But Look Who Crossed the Finish Line First

In the first year that the prize purse from the women’s category in 🏞️New Mexico’s Tour of Gila bike race was equal to that of the men, the first-place prize went to a man.

🏳️‍⚧️Transgender athlete Austin Killips won the race on Sunday, according to the U.K. Daily Mail. As the winner, he was awarded the “Queen of the Mountains” jersey.

On its website back in March, the race had made a major splash about the prize money of $33,350 being available to women racers, the same amount as the men.

“The money is important, but by continuing and even accelerating Tour of the Gila’s tradition of supporting female athletes, this move affirms the value of women’s racing,” Olympian Mara Abbott, Olympian said in the March 16 news release.

“As new racers look to start their careers and more established competitors make the decision to continue each season, this type of support is generous, deserved, and embodies so many of the characteristics I love about the Tour of the Gila and the team that tirelessly works to put the race on every year.”

The elite race is sanctioned by the sport’s world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, according to the Daily Mail.