Emily Bridges
Emily Bridges previously set a national junior men's record over 25 miles and was selected to join British Cycling's senior academy in 2019

Emily Bridges says she has been harassed and demonised after being told she couldn't compete in the National Omnium Championships.

She still has little clarity around her alleged ineligibility.

"No-one should have to choose between being who they are and participating in the sport that they love," she said in a statement on social media.

Bridges has been in contact with British Cycling and the Union Cycliste Internationale over the eligibility criteria she needed to meet to compete this Saturday.

The British Cycling's regulations require riders to have testosterone levels below five nanomoles per liter for a year prior to competition.

Bridges says she has provided both British Cycling and the UCI with evidence that she meets the criteria, including that her testosterone level has been far below the limit prescribed by the regulations for the last 12 months.

British Cycling was told by the UCI that Bridges could not participate in international competition until her eligibility is confirmed. The process is still going on.

British Cycling said on Wednesday that Emily is not eligible to participate in this weekend's event due to the current guidelines of the UCI.

Despite the public announcement, I still have little clarity around their finding of my ineligibility.

I am an athlete and I want to race again. I hope that they will reconsider their decision.

She said that she had been harassed and demonised by those who had a specific agenda.

They attack anything that is not the norm. This does not care for the wellbeing of individuals or groups.

Bridges says her privacy has also been violated, and she has received targeted abuse on social media despite the fact that she has not yet raced in the female category.

Bridges began hormone therapy last year as part of her gender dysphoria treatment and continued to compete in men's races, but she was a provisional entry on the women's starting list for the National Omnium Championships.

According to Cycling Weekly, Bridges has been participating in a study at Loughborough University to track her own power data with reduced testosterone levels - and says they show a 13-16% drop in her power outputs across six-second, one-minute, five-minute and 20-minute durations.

Many female cyclists have sent messages of support after Bridges spoke publicly about her transition.

However, after the UCI deemed she is ineligible, British 800m athlete Ellie Baker said on social media: "I would refuse to race and hope that the other women would stand with me on this too.

This is unfair. The advantages of a trans woman can never be undone.

On Thursday, Liz Ward, director of programmes at the campaign group, said that Bridges hadn't been given a fair chance to compete.

Emily was in full compliance of British Cycling's competition criteria.

British Cycling's trans-inclusion policy is in line with the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee. Our thoughts are with Emily.