Split cyclist wins two Oregon women’s races by a combined 48 minutes under OBRA rules

A breakout male cyclist won two Oregon women’s cycling races in an eight-day span, including one by more than 36 minutes.

Chloe Spritz won the Elite Women’s division at Silver Falls XC at Silver Falls State Park on May 16, according to official results posted by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. Spritz finished in 2:16:37. Stephanie Taplin, the only other finisher in the Elite Women’s line-up, finished second in 2:52:38.

That’s 36 minutes, one second.

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Eight days later, Spritz won the Elite Women’s division at the Sisters Stampede, OBRA XC MTB Championship, in Sisters, Oregon. Spritz finished in 1:43:13. Hannah Thomas, again the only Elite Women finisher, came in second in 1:55:29.

That’s another gap of 12 minutes, 16 seconds.

And this wasn’t just a local race without a competitive edge. OBRA has listed the Sisters Stampede as an OBRA XC MTB Tournament, and OBRA governing rules state that State Championship medals and jerseys are only awarded to annual members.

So, to recap: Spritz won two Elite Women’s races in May 2026 in 48 minutes and 17 seconds over the other listed finishers.

But results are only part of the story.

Now comes the policy that made it possible.

The 2026 OBRA race rules state that, at all OBRA-sanctioned events and divisions, including the OBRA Championships, members may choose the gender division that best aligns with their gender identity in everyday life. The rules also extend that policy to non-binary and gender-broadening members, who may choose a Male/Open or Female category.

In other words, OBRA’s women’s category is not based on natural sex, testosterone levels or whether the athlete experienced male puberty. It is completely based on your gender identity. That is a problem.

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The rules also state that if a member files a complaint, the member must provide evidence that the other passenger’s gender is inconsistent with that passenger’s daily life, and OBRA will not investigate the member’s gender until sufficient evidence is provided.

That’s not the way most female athletes argue for non-discrimination reasons.

A woman who believes that she should not compete with a live male is actually not given a natural gender argument under that law. He is told to prove that this athlete’s sexuality is not compatible with everyday life.

But it gets worse.

Protesters against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on Jan. 13, 2026, as two cases involving transgender girls joining girls’ and women’s sports teams are being heard in court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

OBRA’s Code of Conduct includes gender identity in its harassment policy. The code states that harassment may include negative or derogatory comments about a participant’s gender, does not list them separately and states that violations of harassment may result in disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from OBRA.

So female cyclists are put in an almost impossible position.

They can lose the natural male in the female category. They can be told that the rules allow them. And if they complain too much, they risk having their objections framed as abuse.

That is the opposite of protecting women’s sports.

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USA Cycling went in a different direction. The competition category policy, as of September 15 2025, states that the women’s category is limited to certain individuals who meet its definition of female, and that a person who was not identified as female at birth may not participate in the women’s category at USA Cycling-sanctioned competitive events.

The UCI, cycling’s international governing body, also moved in July 2023 to ban prepubescent blood males from competing in women’s events on the UCI International calendar. The organization said that scientific knowledge does not confirm that hormone therapy can completely eliminate the benefits of male puberty.

So national and international governing bodies have recognized the problem.

OBRA apparently did not.

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

OutKick has covered this issue in cycling many times. Austin Killips, a natural male, won the women’s race by more than five minutes in 2023, and female cyclist Paige Onweller called out the apparent problem of bias in the aftermath.

OutKick also reported in 2024 that cycling teams with transgender racers, natural men, swept the top three spots in the women’s race in Washington.

Oregon has once again become one of the hot spots in the big women’s sports conversation. OutKick previously spoke with Oregon high school athlete Lilian Hammond about targeting male competitors in girls’ sports, and later the Department of Education opened a Title IX investigation into Portland Public Schools, OSAA and the Oregon Department of Education regarding gender participation policies.

Different sports, same issue.

Women’s categories exist for a reason. They exist because men and women are physically different. They exist because female athletes deserve their distinction, their platforms, their opportunities to compete and their respect.

Spritz did not violate OBRA laws.

This is why this is not about one person.

The rules are the problem.