Cyclists No Show Post-Race Podium After Biological Male Finishes 1st In Female Race
Biological male cyclist Lesley Mumford proudly posted an Instagram photo of himself standing atop the first-place podium after Sunday’s 100-mile Desert Gravel Co2Ut race.
But the second and third place finishers were nowhere to be found.
"I have no idea why so many people bailed before the podiums, but they did," Mumford wrote. "I swear I wasn’t the only one in my age group."
The event has a non-binary category, but Mumford chose to enter as a woman instead.
Mumford, 46, finished first in the women's age 40-49 category. He placed ahead of 43 females in the age group and beat the second place finisher by a whopping 17 minutes and 19 seconds. He beat the third place winner by more than 30 minutes.
A law enforcement officer, Wesley Mumford became Lesley in 2017. At the time, CBS News said he was believed to be the first known transgender command-level law enforcement officer to transition.
Mumford said he had the full support of his then-wife of 12 years, Sarah, as well as Summit Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons.
FitzSimons said he was "humbled that she had such courage to do that and honored that she wanted to do it on my watch."
Lesley Mumford Stands Alone on Podium
The second- and third- place finishers did not comment on their podium no-show at the time of the event.
And according to former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, it's about time.
"Enough is enough!" she tweeted. "Empty podium except for the male who naturally finished atop all the women in the women's category. Despite there being a non-binary/trans category he easily could have competed in. Keep it up girls!"
And Gaines wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Inga Thompson — a three-time Olympian, 10-time National Champion and medalist at the Tour de France — showed her support for the ladies.
"The silent protests are starting!" she tweeted.
The second place winner reached out to Fox News to clarify that she was absent from the podium because, directly after completing the race, she enjoyed a beer and a bite to eat, waited for her friends to finish, and then left the venue with her friends after they finished. She also stated that she was not absent from the podium because of a bias or as a silent protest against transgender women participating in women’s sports. Fox News attempted to reach out to the third-place finisher for comment regarding her absence from the podium, but she did not immediately respond.
And on her Sirius XM show Thursday, Megyn Kelly took no prisoners. Kelly pointed out that men winning women's cycling events has become a common occurrence.
"Women’s cycling is all but gone to us — I mean it’s worse, I think, than women's swimming," she said.
And Mumford is just the latest example.
"He suddenly decides he’s a woman, and goes and steals all their medals," Kelly said. "No wonder are quitting."
Kelly's guest Thursday, Britt Mayer, is co-founder of The Battle Cry — a group fighting to keep trans athletes out of women's sports.
Mayer believes women are starting to wake up after being "polite for so long."
"As it gets worse, I think that women are becoming a lot stronger in their convictions and realizing what's at stake," Mayer said.
And if women don't speak up? Mayer said it will "become this tidal wave that absolutely destroyed women's sports."
EDITOR’S NOTE: A prior version of this article stated that the second place winner in the women’s 40-49 division refused to stand at the winner’s podium and included references indicating her absence was related to a transgender athlete’s first place finish. This article has been updated to clarify the reason second place finisher was absent from the winner’s podium, and efforts to seek comment from the third-place finisher.