Scots cyclist in gender change
Tour de France veteran Robert Millar has become Philippa York
A Scot who was one of the UK’S top cyclists has changed gender.
Glasgow-born Robert Millar is now Philippa York, and has described the change as “a step forward for everyone”. Before being overtaken by Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, Millar had the highest finish of a Briton in the Tour de France, coming fourth in 1984.
York, 58, said she had known she was different from the age of five.
A Scot who was one of Britain’s most successful cyclists has announced she has changed gender.
Former professional Robert Millar is now Philippa York, in what she described as “a step forward for everyone”.
Before being overtaken by Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, Millar had the highest finish of a Briton in the Tour de France, finishing fourth in 1984.
Millar also took the King of the Mountains title in that year’s race.
York will be returning to the Tour de France as a commentator for ITV4 next week, which she describes as “a very exciting prospect”.
The Glasgow-born cyclist, 58, has previously written about the sport as Millar, but now York will write as herself.
The announcement follows reports in 2000 and 2007 which claimed he was having a sex change.
York said she had known she was different from the age of five.
She said: “As much as I’ve guarded my privacy over the years there are a few, I believe obvious, reasons to why I haven’t had a public ‘image’ since I transitioned.
“Gratifyingly, times have moved on from ten years ago when my family, friends and I were subjected to the archaic views and prejudice that some people and certain sections of the tabloid media held.
“Thankfully gender issues are no longer a subject of such ignorance and intolerance, there’s a much better acceptance and understanding.
“I really am delighted to have accepted this new challenge with ITV4.
I’m looking forward to the racing immensely, and in terms of my personal and professional development, I think this is the right time to return to a more active role in cycling too – the sport I’ve always loved.”
She added that “while there has been some speculation concerning my gender over the past decade, perhaps it’ll now be better understood why unwelcome and unasked-for intrusions into that transition have been damaging not only to myself but to those I love.”
“I’ve known I was different since I was five years old, [but] what that difference was and how to deal with it has taken a fairly long time to come to terms with.
“All I will say is it hasn’t been an overnight process.
“Sport has generally lagged behind in its attitudes to anything other than the heterosexual norm. In that context cycling has been one of the sports most resistant to change. It’ll catch up eventually.”
Millar’s other successes included finishing second in the 1985 and 1986 Vuelta a Espana [Tour of Spain] and second in the 1987 Giro d’italia. He retired in 1995 and started coaching, briefly as British road coach.
Richard Moore, author of the biography In Search of Robert Millar, said he had left for France aged 20, “driven by his ambition and by the negativity he had encountered in Glasgow”.
Millar later said of his home city: “Most people belonged to the ‘You’ll never do that’ school of thought”.
ITV has announced York will be joining the Tour de France commentary team for three days from next Thursday.