MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. The Management Committee of the International Cycling Union (Union Cycliste Internationale, UCI) has decided to bar female transgender athletes from competing in women's events, the UCI said in a statement on Friday.

"From now on, female transgender athletes who have transitioned after (male) puberty will be prohibited from participating in women's events on the UCI International Calendar - in all categories - in the various disciplines," the statement reads.

"For international Masters events <..> the Men’s category will be renamed Men/Open, and any athlete who does not meet the conditions for participation in women's events will be admitted without restriction," the UCI added.

The new rules come into effect on July 17.

Meanwhile, the UCI "will begin discussions with other members of the international sporting movement on the co-financing of a research program aimed at studying changes in the physical performance of highly-trained athletes undergoing transitional hormone treatment."