This week elite-level cyclist Jillian Bearden will ride in the inaugural Colorado Classic as the first out transgender woman to compete in a race at this level. A bike racer since 2007, Bearden helped shape the recent USA Cycling policy on transgender athlete participation with performance data from before and after her transition in 2014. Last year she won Arizona’s El Tour de Tucson, but the Colorado Classic will be her highest-profile event yet. She’ll ride for the Palmares Racing Team, though she also races with a team of transgender cyclists she cofounded, the Trans National Women’s Cycling Team. We sat down with the 36-year-old pro before the big event for a quick chat at her home in Colorado Springs.

Bicycling: Why is this race a big deal?

Jillian Bearden: This is the first time in US history a trans woman will race in the women’s pro peloton. I think that on its own is really special. But the most exciting thing to me about this race is I get to compete with the best cyclists in the world. The Colorado Classic showcases just how far I’ve come as an athlete and the barriers that I’ve faced and kicked down. It also shows how hard I’ve fought off the bike for gender inclusion in society and sports.

What will be going through your head at the start line?

I’ll be looking to see where the strongest competition is and working on my pre-planned strategy to position myself just right in the peloton to be ready for the first attack, which in this race will happen in the first mile. I will also be full of nerves!

RELATED: US Cycling Releases New Policy on Transgender Athlete Participation

USA Cycling (USAC) just released a new policy on transgender athlete participation. How were you involved?

As an elite athlete before transitioning in 2014, I needed to work with the governing body to place me in the right category and change the gender on my license. I reached out to Chuck Hodge, technical director at USAC, and we started working together. I was the first trans woman to get a license granted. Throughout the rest of 2016 and 2017 I worked closely with USAC to help carve out the policy that’s in place today.

What was the policy-making process like?

I’ve been a test subject to the IOC to help provide before-and-after data on my athletic ability to show how much being on HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) can affect one’s athleticism. This is groundbreaking stuff, and I’m proud to say I’m the first elite cyclist in the world to provide that data in a controlled setting. These tests helped shape new guidelines and use science to show skeptics that trans women are on the same playing field as the cis women (non-trans women) we race with.

What exactly was USAC testing when placing you in your racing category?

They were testing typical power output benchmarks such as lactate threshold and VO2 Max, and fortunately I had pre-transition data that we could compare it to. All the tests were conducted at Carmichael Training Systems in Colorado Springs and will continue over the next two years to help provide a scientific timeline for someone who is transitioning. My post-transition power output was 11.4 percent lower than my 2011 data, which is almost exactly the difference in measurable power between elite non-trans female and non-trans male athletes. We were happy with the results. Under the new IOC rules, a trans woman’s gender marking is assigned by the level of testosterone in her system, not by gender reassignment surgery.

You started the Transnational Women's Cycling Team to connect with other trans racers. How is the team doing?

We have 22 active members from 16 US states, and one member in Mexico. It's one of the first transgender sports teams in the world. It's a group made up of all transgender women, with a club team and a race team. The goal has been to bring trans women together for a sense of community and friendship, and so we can support one another. Life can be very hard as a trans woman, so to have a space to feel 100 percent free to be yourself has been a very special thing for us.

RELATED: Texas' First Transgender Mayor Is an Avid Cyclist

What are some of those challenges?

The one that hurts me the most is that my father and much of his family have all walked away from my life. Especially walking into the Colorado Classic, I want to tell him how much the race means to me and where I am today. When I line up with my awesome teammates and 83 other very talented athletes on August 10, I will be the luckiest woman alive and own this moment in time.

How have you been received by the other athletes on the Palmares team you’re racing for? Have you had any pushback?

They all have been super welcoming to me. The girls on the team are amazing, we’re just like any other women’s cycling team. Most of us are staying in the same housing while we travel for the Classic, and conversations we’ll have include what color of nail polish would look best for race day, or where we are eating for dinner—and, of course, we talk race strategy. It’s typically only non-athletes that have anything negative to say.

You're racing the Colorado Classic to win, obviously, but this race also gives you a lot of visibility. What's your message?

For me it took 34 years before I had the courage to face the world as Jillian, and I want to share my strength and inspire others. I hope my story will help break down societal norms and give someone the strength to find their true path in life. Gender identity can be difficult to navigate, especially when it comes to sports. But I’m competing with cisgender female athletes that have been extremely supportive and happy to race with me. I’ve created a space and a road map for people to look at scientific data to show there’s no unfair advantage with a trans woman competing in a big US race like this.

How to watch the Colorado Classic:

The inaugural four-day event will roll through Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver, August 10-13. You can catch it televised on NBCSN and live-streamed on NBC Sports Gold, NBC Sports Digital’s live-streaming, direct-to-consumer subscription app.

Stage 1: Colorado Springs (Thursday, August 10)

Stage 2: Breckenridge (Friday, August 11)

Stage 3: Denver / Peak to Peak Hwy out-and-back: (Saturday, August 12)

Stage 4: Denver city circuit (Sunday, August 13)

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